Fall Into Me
by 23hales
Summary: I don't lilke writing summaries (and can't think of a good one for this story) so I'm just gonna say that it's Nathan and Haley - all the way! Friends turned lovers, maybe! :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, my fellow Naley lovers!**

**I am finally back with another story – the first of three I've been working on. I think this story line has been done a few times, but I'm hoping my version is still different and most importantly, enjoyable. :) Right now, I have a time line mapped out for thirty chapters. Of course, that can always change as I continue to write; I don't think it will but you never know.**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with **_**One Tree Hill**_**. This story primarily takes place in New York City so I obviously own nothing affiliated with or within the lovely state of New York.**

_October 10, 2012_

Carrying her brown tote over her right shoulder, Haley strolled along the sidewalk and listened to the _click_ the heels of her boots made against the concrete with every step she took. It was an almost hypnotizing sound – relaxing even, in a way. Her eyes immediately noticed a man with blonde hair, looked to be in his late twenties, walking towards her. He was cute – really cute but in an obvious kind of way. She watched as his eyes raked over her body, not bothering to do it discreetly either. He smirked then when they made eye contact. Haley blushed and smiled shyly at him as they crossed paths. Taking a quick glance behind her to get one more look, she saw that he was doing the same as well. She felt her insides heat up and couldn't deny how good it made her feel. Especially after the day she has had. Still smiling, Haley turned back around and continued on.

"Haley Bob, are you even listening to me?"

The voice interrupted her thoughts, and she sighed loudly. "Yes, Mom, I'm listening."

"You sound distracted." Lydia pointed out.

"I am distracted." Haley replied, matter-of-fact.

"Well, pay attention, sweetie." Lydia demanded. "As I was saying, did you hear about your sister?"

"Yes, I heard. Quinn called me last night."

"Isn't this so exciting?!"

Haley held the cell phone away from her ear and winced at the loud, piercing squeal the older woman let out. She really should have been more prepared for that; excited squealing was something Lydia James did best. Once the screaming died down, she placed the phone back against her ear and simply listened as her mother rambled on and on about her sister's engagement. As if that wasn't torture enough, Lydia immediately began to ramble about wedding details. Haley groaned inaudibly, knowing this upcoming wedding is going to be the main topic of conversation for the next ten months. Finally arriving at her desired destination, she walked into the building, smiling politely at the concierge and mouthing a "hello" in the process. Coming upon the elevators, Haley stopped suddenly when she saw an _Out of Order_ sign.

"Good evening, Miss James." Michael, the maintenance worker, greeted upon noticing her. "The elevator is out of working order at the moment."

"I can see that." She responded, staring at the nonworking steel cage wistfully.

"Sorry for the inconvenience." He apologized.

"What inconvenience?" She asked rhetorically. "My apartment is only located on the tenth floor."

Michael laughed at the girl's sarcasm, knowing it wasn't directed at him.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I better get going."

"Have a good evening, Miss James."

"Thank you. And for the last time, Michael, will you please call me Haley?"

The man nodded and smiled at the young tenant.

Haley returned the smile and then begrudgingly began trotting up the stairs. Her mother, not one to enjoy being interrupted, once again began to ramble – it was flowers this and dresses that, menu options, the perfect venues. Blah blah blah. This was the last thing Haley wanted to talk about right now.

"We're throwing an engagement party for Quinn and David next Friday night." Lydia informed her daughter. "Will you be able to attend?"

"I don't know." Haley answered as she began to search for her keys. "I have to work on Saturday and Sunday so I'll see about switching shifts with someone."

"You don't have to work on Friday?"

"Nope."

"And you don't have class?"

"Nope."

"Why don't you just come home Friday then?" Lydia questioned.

"Mom, I'm not gonna go all the way to Tree Hill just for a few hours. That's a lot of wasted time and money." Haley argued.

"It's your sister's engagement party, Haley Bob." Lydia pointed out.

"I am aware of that, Mom." Haley stated, rolling her eyes. "But this party is last minute. I can't just rearrange my schedule whenever it's convenient for everyone else. Besides, I'm sure...no, I know Quinn will be understanding if I can't make it. She knows, as well as I do, that this party...well, it's more about you than her. Isn't that right, Mother?"

Lydia sighed and relented. "I suppose you have a point."

Haley shook her head and let out a silent laugh.

"I can't help it. I am a mom." The woman began to defend herself. "My daughter's getting married. I just want to celebrate this wonderful news. Is that so wrong?"

"No, it isn't wrong." Haley reassured, knowing her mother only had good intentions. "You are perfectly right in wanting to celebrate this, because it is wonderful news, Mom. I want to celebrate with you guys, too, so I promise to try and make it. That's the best I can give you for now. Okay?"

"Okay. But please do, sweetie." Lydia pleaded, the desperation evident in her voice. "I want you to come home – not just for the party either. I miss my baby girl, and I would love to have an entire weekend to spend with you. It's been months since you've been home."

"I know." Haley muttered apologetically. "Things have just been so crazy at school and at work."

"Uh huh." Lydia hummed in response. "And what about your personal life?"

Haley inwardly groaned at the question. It was just a matter of time before her mother brought this subject up, especially with news of her sister's engagement. She knew her mother was referring to one specific aspect of her personal life – her love life which, at this moment, was nonexistent. Lydia was always pressuring Haley about finding a guy – getting married and having kids, settling down. The pressure was only going to increase now. Quinn's engagement meant one thing – Haley James was now the last of her siblings to be single. Even Taylor was married – this was a girl who made it her ultimate goal in high school to sleep with the entire student, most likely teacher as well, population. Lydia would never let this subject die down. Haley understands her mother; honestly, she does. And it isn't as if she doesn't want that for herself – she does. She wants to get married and have kids. But it's not so simple. First, she needs to find a guy – the right guy who makes her world stop. Haley is not going to settle, especially with something as serious as finding a husband just to be married.

"Well," Lydia prodded, snapping her daughter out of her obvious daze, "is there any chance you may be bringing a guy home with you?"

"Mom..."

"I know what that means." The woman sighed, shaking her head. "Haley Bob, you don't want to be single for the rest of your life, do you? Coming to holidays and family gatherings all alone. Having to see all of your other siblings with their significant others and their kids. You'd be...alone. All alone. You don't want that, do you?" She asked and heard the deep breath her daughter expelled. "I'm not saying this to upset you, Haley Bob. I just want you to be happy. You're not getting any younger."

"I'm twenty-two, Mom." Haley argued, her frustration building quickly. "I think I've got some time before I need to freak out. Quinn is twenty-five, you know, and she's just now getting engaged."

"Yeah, but your sister has been in a committed relationship with the same guy for four years. She and David are basically already married." Lydia pointed out. "You, on the other hand...you're not even dating anyone, sweetie."

"Mom, can we please stop talking about this?" Haley pleaded as she pinched the top of her nose with her thumb and pointer finger. She could feel the headache sneaking up on her.

"We can – if you promise to at least bring a date to your sister's wedding." Lydia said casually, trying to bribe her youngest daughter. "Ten months, Bob. Surely, that gives you plenty of time to find a boyfriend."

"Fine." Haley grumbled, succumbing to her mother's demands – if only to get off the phone. The older woman let out another squeal of excitement, causing her to roll her eyes as she pushed open the door leading to the floor she lived on. "I'm on my floor, Mom. I have to let you go. I'll call you about next weekend, okay?"

Through her excitement, Lydia nodded and happily replied, "Of course! I love you, Haley Bob!"

"I love you, too. Give dad a kiss for me."

"I will. Bye!"

"Bye."

After ending the phone call, Haley tucked the device into the pocket of her dark-washed, skinny jeans and then continued to dig around inside her purse for her keys which was proving to be completely unsuccessful. Within her careless haste, Haley tripped over her foot and yelped loudly in both pain and annoyance.

"This is ridiculous!" She griped while tugging, with great difficulty, her boot off and throwing it at the door which created an echoing sound throughout the building. She fumbled down to the ground and dumped the entire contents of her purse out as she searched through the mess. "How hard is it to find one single set of keys?!"

The sound of a door opening caught her attention. She glanced up at the apartment across the hall and saw her neighbor standing, leaning sideways against the door frame. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants that hung lowly on his hips. Her eyes couldn't help but gaze quickly over his muscular bare chest. She was human after all – it was only natural to look, especially when he stood there unabashedly displaying his perfectly sculpted body without a care in the world. Settling on his face, she saw that trademark smirk of his.

"Problems?" He questioned with a tone laced with amusement.

"Not now, Nathan." She warned, focusing her attention back to her pile. "I can't find my keys."

He laughed and said, "Well, maybe if you didn't carry around so much junk." She shot him a quick glare, and he held up his hands in mock surrender. "Just making an observation."

"Noted." Haley replied, bemused.

"Why do girls always pack their bags with so much shit anyway? What do you even need with all that?" Nathan asked, gesturing towards the mess on the floor.

She shrugged, still searching. "You never know when you'll need something. It's better to be prepared than to be surprised."

"Even better than spending an hour looking for your keys?" He challenged, smirking.

"Haha." She deadpanned before heaving out a loud, drawn out sigh of exasperation. "God, this day sucks! First, my alarm clock didn't go off this morning so I was thirty minutes late to class. In my rush to get to the building, I spilled hot coffee on myself – burned the heck out of my thigh! I was also starving most of the day since I didn't actually eat a thing until about two hours ago. Then, I get here and the stupid elevator is out of order. I had to walk up ten flights of stairs – in heels! My feet are killing me! Oh, and along the way, I was also subjected to listening to my mother go on and on about my pathetic love life since I am now the last of the James clan to be single. She just loves to point out that I'm not even close. And now, I can't find my damn keys!"

Nathan jumped slightly when she hurled what looked like a bottle of lotion at her door. He watched as she fell to the floor and slouched her body against the wall while expelling a deep breath of what he deduced was defeat. "You're not gonna start crying, are you?" He asked with raised eyebrows. "Cause I don't do well with that – girls crying and all."

Haley narrowed her eyes and glared heatedly up at him. "Was there something you wanted, Nathan?"

"You're the one out here making a ruckus." He countered, sending her a pointed look.

"I know." She groaned, puffing out her bottom lip and pouting in a child-like manner. "I'm sorry. I'm just...having a very bad day."

Laughing, he stepped further out into the hallway when something caught his eye. "I believe these..." He began, smiling as he leaned down to grab the object before standing upright once again, "...are yours." He dangled the keys up in the air while smirking smugly at her.

Growling almost, she nodded and mumbled a barely audible "thank you" as her neighbor gently tossed the keys to her. She caught them effortlessly before sticking them securely in her pocket with her cell phone. She then shifted onto her knees and began to repack everything into her purse.

"You're welcome." Nathan said.

"So, what have you been up to today?" Haley asked, her mood brightening slightly, as she glanced up at him.

"Oh, I..."

"Nathan!" A high-pitched, female voice interrupted from inside his apartment.

Haley rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Of course."

Nathan smirked. "Don't be like that, Hales. I'm just getting rid of my tension." He told her while extending his arms out towards her and waited for her to take his hands before he helped her to stand once again.

"Thank you." She said, slinging her purse securely over her right shoulder before crossing her arms across her chest as she stared at him. "Why don't you just...I don't know, lift weights or go for a run or something else to release your tension?"

"I did those things earlier." He replied, winking at her. "But thanks for the suggestions."

"Oh, you're so very welcome."

Nathan smiled, shaking his head as he laughed at his neighbor. Haley James was so damn amusing – her quirky personality always puts a smile on his face. Hearing feet shuffling, he, along with Haley, whipped their heads towards the entryway of his apartment. The tall, slim brunette stood there, wearing nothing but his white, button-down shirt which stopped high up on her thighs. The first couple of buttons were not fastened all the way, letting the fabric dip low into her cleavage. With the light, thin material, her nipples and the dark area surrounding them could be seen clearly. Nathan couldn't help but both smirk and roll his eyes – _who would actually come to the door like that?_

"Oh." The girl muttered with an even tone as her eyes settled on the petite brunette. "Hi, Haley."

Haley smiled tightly. "Carrie."

Nathan glanced over at his neighbor and smirked. He knew the two girls held deep disdain towards one another. He knew why Carrie hated Haley – she was threatened by the girl, by his closeness to his pretty neighbor. Of course, it probably didn't help that he never once reassured Carrie that he wasn't attracted to or interested in Haley. It was intentional on his part, though. Haley, on the other hand...Nathan didn't exactly know why she hated the other girl. From the first time he brought Carrie back to his place, Haley had no problem voicing her dislike of his latest "fling". He assumed her feelings were due to the type of person Carrie was and nothing more.

The two girls couldn't have more different personalities if they tried.

Haley is kind-hearted and considerate, generous and sweet. She was that typical girl-next-door with an infectious, megawatt smile and the most adorably contagious laugh. She works hard at her weekend bar job. She's smart – earned a scholarship to New York University where she's currently in her final year. People love Haley. His friends, they love Haley while openly admitting their own dislike towards Carrie.

Carrie is a model, not in the least big surprising if you ever saw her. Like several others in the spotlight, she craves the attention. She is self-centered and sanctimonious, rude, outspoken, inconsiderate and ungrateful. She is talented, though, and works equally hard at all of her jobs. Carrie books modeling gigs based on her looks and her talent, but her reputation...well, it leaves little to be desired.

Nathan met Carrie at a photo shoot two months ago. There was an instant attraction between them. The night they met, they went out to enjoy dinner and drinks before ending the night back at his apartment. They've been "together" ever since. Neither of them were looking for anything serious with each other so they agreed their time together would be nothing more than the occasional hookup. It worked for them as both their jobs involved so much travel. This way, they could enjoy each other's company without any strings attached – none of that messy, complicated relationship drama.

He knew it was too good to last, though.

Lately, Carrie has been "subtely" pushing for more between them. Unfortunately, Nathan has no feelings for her. He has always been upfront and honest with her about his lack of feelings. He told her with as much sincerity as he could, not wanting to hurt her. But she knew the deal from the beginning. Nathan knows he needs to end things with her completely before any more emotions get involved, but Carrie doesn't exactly make it easy to end things.

"You coming back inside or what?" Carrie asked Nathan.

Nathan tore his eyes away from his neighbor and looked behind him, nodding. "Yeah. I have plans tonight that I have to get ready for. Feel free to use the shower if you want and then see yourself out."

Carrie let out a huff, glaring at both him and Haley for a few seconds before stalking back into the apartment and slamming the door behind her.

Nathan chuckled as Haley flinched slightly at the loud, echoing sound.

"Seriously, Nathan," Haley began as she looked at the NBA player, "why you continue to...do what you do with her, I'll never understand."

"I think you know the answer to that." Nathan pointed out, smirking.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I get that. I just don't get how you can stand her. Five seconds and I wanna punch her in the face."

"Oh." He smiled, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "I'd love to see that."

"Shut up." She said, laughing.

"I'm serious, Hales." He continued. "I would pay good money for that. I'm talking thousands of dollars here."

"Is that right?"

"Uh huh."

"Hmm...maybe some other time." She said, smiling at the expression of disappointment on his face. "I am exhausted – gonna go inside, pour myself a big glass of wine, and soak in a hot, bubble bath."

"Sounds like a plan." Nathan stated as she nodded. "Or you can come with me. I'm going out to dinner with Lucas, Brooke, Jake, and Peyton in an hour. You wanna come? I'll even pay."

"Ooh, that's incredibly tempting." Haley said. "But I'll have to pass for tonight. With the day I've had, I like my plans much better."

"Okay."

"Tell everyone I said hi, though."

* * *

><p>Nathan opened the glass doors and stepped into Keen's Steakhouse. He walked up to the hostess and smiled kindly at the pretty red-head while inquiring about the rest of his party. Learning everyone was already there and waiting for him, he followed the girl through the busy restaurant. He really loved this place – one of his favorite restaurants in the city. It costs a pretty penny to dine at this upscale restaurant, but the food and the ambiance was always worth it. Besides, Nathan didn't exactly blink twice when receiving the bill given his wealthy status.<p>

The first couple he noticed at the table was Lucas and Brooke.

Lucas Scott is Nathan's cousin with only three months between their age. Having grown up together, the two of them are not only cousins but the best of friends as well. Lucas attended Columbia University on an academic scholarship where he studied English literature. He is now a well-known author. All three of his published books have been on the _New York Times_ Best Sellers list, and he is currently working on number four. Lucas married his high school sweetheart nearly five years ago.

Brooke, formerly Davis, Scott is a beautiful brunette with the most amazing hazel-like eyes and dazzling dimples as well as a killer toned body. Physically, she could almost be described as perfect. She is a vibrant, young woman with a vivacious personality. Like her husband, she has also found great success. Brooke created a clothing line during her senior year of high school with the help and encouragement from her best friend and mother. Clothes Over Bros, often abbreviated COB, is a multimillion dollar company and only continues to flourish each and every year.

The second couple sitting at the table was Jake and Peyton.

Peyton Jagielski graduated from high school with Nathan, Lucas, and Brooke eight years ago. She has been best friends with Brooke since grade school, though. Obsessed with music, Peyton created her own music label right here in Manhattan, Red Bedroom Records. A lot of well-known artists are signed to her label, making her career an extreme success. She met her husband, Jake, at New York University; she was a freshman while he was a junior. They married six years ago and already have two daughters: Jenny, five-years-old, and Ellie, two-years-old. Jake is currently a pediatric resident at NYU Langone Medical Center.

Nathan smiled again at the hostess and thanked her, watching as she grinned and then turned to walk away. The others had politely stood upon his arrival. After shaking hands with Lucas and Jake, he kissed both Brooke and Peyton on their cheeks warmly before they all sat down.

"Haley couldn't make it?" Brooke inquired, glancing behind her cousin to make sure she didn't miss the petite brunette.

He shook his head. "No. She was tired – wanted to stay home for the night. She says hi, though."

"That's a bummer." She remarked and then looked at her best friend. "We need to do another girls night soon."

"Definitely." Peyton agreed, taking a sip of her wine.

"I ordered you a beer." Lucas informed his cousin who nodded his thanks in response. "How did the shoot go?"

"Good." Nathan answered. "The video game should be out to buy in a couple of months."

"You gonna hook us up?" Jake asked, smirking.

"Of course." Nathan said and then smugly and jokingly added, "I'll even autograph them for you guys."

"I'd prefer it if you autographed the check after you pay for all of our dinners tonight instead." Brooke countered teasingly, winking.

They all laughed.

The waiter came by just then with Nathan's beer and jotted down the four of their orders: the Prime T-Bone Steak and a Baked Idaho Potato for both Nathan and Lucas, the Pan-Seared Arctic Salmon for Brooke, Lobster Salad for Jake, and the Prime 8 oz Filet Mignon and Boiled Baby Potatoes with Parsley and Butter for Peyton.

"No kids for the night?" Nathan questioned the married couple sitting to his right.

Peyton smiled and shook her head as Jake answered, "Nope. They are with my parents for the next couple of nights."

"Thank goodness because mama needs a break." Peyton said with a sigh. "I love those girls with everything in me but...God, they aren't easy. Well, Jenny more so. She is in that 'me me me' stage right now. Some days, I just want to beat the attitude right out of that her."

"Peyton!" Brooke scolded, mortified.

"Oh, don't judge me, Davis." Peyton replied with a pointed glare at her best friend. "You just wait till you have kids. Then, we can talk."

Everyone laughed as they all simultaneously took sips of their drinks.

"Well," Brooke began, licking her lips, "no babies from us for a while. Right, Broody?"

"Right." Lucas said, agreeing wholeheartedly with his wife.

"You guys need to get on it." Petyon said, looking between the couple. "My kids need some other little ones to play with. I'm just saying..."

"We're thinking...two, maybe three more years before we start trying." Brooke informed them as Lucas nodded.

"Are you guys thinking about having any more?" Nathan asked Jake and Peyton, joining the conversation.

"Actually, we are trying for number three right now." Peyton answered.

"Really?" Brooke asked, surprised. "Why the hell didn't you tell me, you bitch?!"

Peyton laughed and shrugged. "It's not like it's a big deal. We already have two. I figured I'd just say something when I'm actually pregnant."

"A baby is always a big deal, Peyt!" Brooke disagreed. "This is awesome!" She then lifted her wine glass. "Here's to Jake and Peyton, my dear friends. Hopefully, you get pregnant with your third one as easily, and not so unexpectedly, as you did with the first two."

"Thanks." Peyton said, smiling.

"Cheers!" The five of them all exclaimed as they clinked their glasses together.

"Well, it looks like we have a lot to celebrate tonight." Brooke stated as her friends looked at her confused. She turned her gaze onto her husband and rubbed his forearm gently. "Tell 'em, honey."

All eyes were now on Lucas.

"I finished my book. Sent the final copy to my editor today actually." He revealed.

"That's great, Luke!" Nathan was the first to praise with the others quickly following.

Their waiter arrived in that moment with their perfectly timed meals, placing each of the gorgeously presented dishes on the table surface in front of the correct person. He took that moment to refill the water glasses, he also asked if any of them wanted any refills on their alcohol. Assuring he would be back momentarily, he left the table to get the requested drinks to which he did return only a couple of minutes later.

The group, starving, immediately dug into their dishes. They all moaned in satisfaction, voicing their compliments out loud with one another as they continued to eat and chat about their personal lives for the next twenty minutes.

"How's that new musician of yours working out?" Lucas asked Peyton.

"Really well." Peyton gushed with a broad smile.

Two months ago, Peyton discovered the hidden talents of Mia Catalano. The eighteen-year-old was the keyboard player in another band Peyton was in the process of signing. Jason, the lead singer, was an arrogant guy. One night, she heard Mia playing and singing. After approaching the young woman, Peyton learned that Jason had been stealing her songs and using them as his own for years. It didn't exactly take long for Peyton to realize that Mia was the real talent behind the group.

"Mia is really beginning to come out of her shell." Peyton continued to explain with such pride. "I booked her her first show next weekend. At your mom's club actually." She said as Lucas smiled. "Karen is absolutely thrilled. Mia...well, she is a little more than nervous, but she's gonna do great."

"Well, you tell that girl that we will all be there to support her." Brooke said as Lucas, Nathan, and Jake all nodded their heads and agreed. "I can't wait to hear her live. Peyton let me listen to a sample of one of her tracks – she is wonderful."

"And what about you, Brooke?" Jake asked, turning the attention on the brunette. "You have a fashion show coming up. How are the plans coming along?"

"Stressful." Brooke replied with an over dramatic sigh. "Things run smoothly until Victoria intervenes."

"Bitchtoria is in full force then?" Peyton stated as she, along with Jake, Nathan, and Lucas, laughed.

The brunette nodded. "You have no idea. Thank God I have Millie by my side. I would completely lose my mind if it wasn't for that girl. And you." She said, smiling at her best friend. "Peyton, here, has booked The Noisettes for the me. Which is...so fantastic! First of all, it's one less thing I have to worry about. And secondly, I love them! So thank you, my very best friend."

"Any time." Peyton winked.

"Everything is approaching fast." Brooke continued. "Mark the calender, friends. February 11." She then looked towards her cousin. "You're coming, right? Because I checked your basketball schedule and you have no games lined up. So, I don't wanna hear any pathetic excuses."

"Yes, I'm coming." Nathan answered.

"You better. Besides, I already conned Haley into making sure your ass is there." She informed him.

He, as well as the others, laughed. "Of course you did."

She shrugged unapologetic. "What can I say, I cover my bases."

"Well, don't worry, Brooke. I will be there." He assured her.

"He's only going to see the models." Lucas commented with a chuckle.

"That definitely played a factor in me deciding to go." Nathan smirked.

"Typical." Brooke scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"That's the only reason why Jake's going, too." Peyton teased, smiling at her husband.

"I wouldn't say that...but I won't go as far as saying that isn't something I'm looking forward to watching either." Jake stated with the same smirk Nathan had.

"Jerk." Peyton playfully shoved him as they all laughed. She shared a look with her best friend. "Typical boys."

The waiter came by their table again. "How was everything tonight?"

"So delicious!" Brooke praised.

The others added their own praises.

"That's wonderful to hear." The man replied. "Any room for dessert?"

"Oh, no." The dimpled brunette answered, rubbing her stomach for overall effect. "I am stuffed."

"May I order something to go?" Nathan asked.

The waiter nodded. "Of course. What can I get you?"

"A piece of the New York Cheesecake please." Nathan requested.

The man wrote the dessert order down and made sure nobody else wanted anything before smiling and leaving them.

"Cheesecake?" Lucas questioned with raised eyebrows. "I thought you didn't like cheesecake."

"It's for Haley." Nathan explained, downing the rest of his beer. "She had a rough day today. I thought the cheesecake might cheer her up."

"Haley sure does love her sweets." Jake commented, chuckling.

"That she does." Nathan agreed, laughing with his friend.

The five friends paid for their meals and said their goodbyes before leaving the restaurant.

**There it is – the first chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think! I think the ending felt a bit rushed, but for the life of me, I just couldn't find the words to end it. Haha! This chapter was primarily a small introduction into our favorite couple and the people within their lives.**

**I hope to have another chapter posted soon! It will either be (I'm hoping) Friday or next Monday. ****:)**


	2. Chapter Two

**Hey! I'm back with the next chapter!**

**This chapter is Haley centric - sorry but no Nathan. :(**

**Wow! I am so blown away by the response to that first chapter! A huge thanks to NALEYAAF23, Dreyyy, ScRuPuLoUs, jena23, NaleyWriter23, amkjo001, NALEY23alwaysforever, saderia, Kirsty23, naleyhumor, rocklesson86, 94, thibbs65, SPNALEY, Twister Musalih, and all the guests for your wonderful reviews! And, thanks so much for all the story/author alerts I have already received. It all means so much to me! I love you all!**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with **_**One Tree Hill**_**. This story primarily takes place in New York City so I obviously own nothing affiliated with or within the lovely state of New York.**

_October 18, 2012_

Haley stood quietly, sipping her champagne, as she listened to Alex.

Alex Dupre is one of Quinn's best friends. Haley had never really gotten along with the girl. They certainly didn't hate one another nor was there any real animosity between the two girls – their personalities just never seemed to mesh well together. Like Quinn, Alex was part of the popular crowd in high school – prom queen, head cheerleader, and president of the student council. She was always friendly to Haley, at least in a fake type of way, for being Quinn's baby sister. But due to the three years between their ages as well as their social standings in school, Alex and Haley were never friends. They never would have even conversed or interacted in any way had it not been for Quinn.

Alex was currently gushing about the new job she had been hired for a couple of weeks prior – a brand manager at a local clothing chain. Haley was sincerely happy for Alex. It's always an exciting thrill when starting a new job, and she certainly didn't wish to take that feeling away from Alex. But, after twenty minutes of talking about nothing else, Haley felt herself on the verge of telling the girl to shut the hell up. That she didn't care anymore. At this point, she was only pretending to listen, doing that whole "uh huh" and "yeah" thing. Haley gulped down the rest of her champagne before setting the empty flute glass on a nearby table.

Seconds that turned into minutes ticked by.

"Excuse me, Miss."

Alex stopped yammering, her eyes gliding past the girl she was conversing with to see who had interrupted her.

Haley turned around at the deep voice and noticed one of the waiters standing behind her. "Yes?"

"I apologize for the interruption but I was asked to give this to you." He said, offering her a full glass of champagne. "The gentleman noticed you had finished yours a few minutes ago."

"Ooh, does baby James have a secret admirer?" Alex chirped in amusement.

Haley blushed but smiled politely at the waiter who was only doing his job. "Thank you. That is...so sweet. But, umm, would you mind telling whoever sent this that I'm not interested?"

"Oh, no, ma'am, I can't do that."

Haley quirked her eyebrows and replied, "I'm sorry?"

"Well, the gentleman insisted you drink it. He said you really, really needed it. He could tell by looking at you."

Haley could feel her patience wearing thin right about now. Having been stuck listening to Alex for almost forty minutes, the last thing she wanted to deal with was some persistent guy like this.

"And, exactly who might this gentleman be?" She asked calmly yet with a small hint of sarcasm as she pursed her lips for a brief moment before placing her left hand over her heart. "I would love to personally thank him for being such a generous, thoughtful man. It isn't every day that you come across a man who knows exactly what you _need_ by simply looking at you."

Her sarcasm wasn't missed on the young waiter. Uncomfortable, he raised his free hand slowly and pointed behind her. "The gentleman sitting at the end of the bar, Miss."

Haley immediately glanced in the direction the waiter was pointing at. Her eyes gazed swiftly across the people who were either sitting or standing, desperately wanting to find this man who was so intent with making a move on her. This man who apparently knew what she needed better than she did. _The nerve of some people._ Then, she found him. Haley expelled a quick puff of laughter and smiled instantly. Straightening her body once more, she graciously accepted the flute of champagne while thanking the waiter. She excused herself from her conversation with Alex before turning around and strolling towards the bar. To where the man sat. Haley took a sip of the bubbly liquid along the way.

"Exactly what you needed, right?" He asked, his voice low and raspy.

"Definitely." She replied, leaning in to hug him. "What are you doing over here all by your lonesome, Whitey?"

Whitey peered around her petite figure and said, "Well, it's the best view in the house, darling. I get to sit here quietly and watch everyone. And by watch, I mean silently judge."

Haley laughed as she slipped into the empty stool beside him. She let out a quiet moan of relief at being off her feet. She really wasn't a "heel" type of girl, unless the heels of her boots count, and she has been standing in these things for close to two hours already. Her mother was all about socializing at events such as these and she expected her family to follow her lead as well. So, Haley played the dutiful daughter and kept the socializing going. But right now, she really needed a break. For many reasons.

Haley took the time to survey the crowds of people surrounding her. There had to be at least two hundred guests here tonight. This was just an engagement party, which was the sad thing; she could only imagine how many guests will be in attendance at the actual wedding. She didn't realize her family, or even David's, knew this many people. Haley did have to give her mother credit, though. This reception hall was beautifully decorated; it had a very intimate ambiance to it. One could mistake their family as coming from a wealthy background with how classically elegant everything looked.

"How are you doing, sweetie?" Whitey asked.

Haley snapped out of her thoughts and locked eyes with the older man. "I'm fine. Tired but fine."

"School going okay?" He continued to prod in that loving, caring way of his.

"Yes, it's wonderful. I love it! I can't believe I'm almost finished. Well, that is if I don't pursue a master's degree."

"Have you given that any more thought?"

She shrugged and answered, "I go back and forth, but honestly, I think I'm gonna do it."

"You should." Whitey encouraged, smiling proudly. His eyes roamed the length of her, and he smiled. "You look absolutely beautiful, Haley. By far, the most beautiful woman in the room."

Haley smiled broadly, touched by his compliment. Whitey, his real name Brian Durham, is one of her favorite people in the world. She met him when she was only ten, helped him tend to his horses on the ranch he shared with his late wife Camilla. During summer vacations, Haley's time was mostly spent either on the ranch or helping out at her mother's cafe. She often helped him during the basketball seasons as well since he was busy coaching the varsity boys team, at least up until his retirement five years ago. Whitey became a surrogate grandfather to her, having never had any children of his own.

Sadly, Haley never had the opportunity to meet Camilla Durham. She has seen pictures of the woman, though – a woman who was remarkably beautiful. And, she has listened to countless stories about her from Whitey. It was very clear that the man loved his wife more than life itself. He was usually such a "gruff" type of man, but when he spoke of Camilla, his tone and his overall demeanor softened greatly. He was so meticulous and caring with the words he used to describe her. Haley wishes she could have met Camilla, met the woman who turned Whitey Durham into such a soft romantic.

Haley always prays that she will find a man who loves her as much as Whitey loves Camilla. They had such an epic, classically beautiful love story. It is a shame their time together ended so suddenly. They still had so much love to give to one another. So much life to share together. It is inspiring, even as tragic as it is. It gives Haley so much joy and hope for the future. For the day that she may also find her other half. Her soul mate. The love of her life.

"Your mother is in her element tonight." Whitey commented as he stared at the middle-age woman who was animatedly talking with another couple. He was surprised the champagne inside her glass wasn't flying everywhere with the way her arms were flouncing about.

Haley laughed, nodding, as her eyes followed his. "She sure is."

Whitey turned his attention back to the petite brunette who was sitting next to him. He watched her, observing her every move closely. Like the way her shoulders had dropped slightly. The soft sadness of her facial features. Or how her eyes had lost some of that previous twinkle to them. He knew this young woman as much as he knew himself, could read her better than anybody. Whitey knew something was troubling her.

Reaching out tentatively and placing his hand on her shoulder, he asked her, "You okay, sweetie?"

Haley faced him and sighed softly. "Yeah, I'm just...mom won't give up."

He simply nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about. He kept quiet and gave her the chance to get some things off her chest.

"Ever since I got home, she hasn't given me a moment to breathe. You'd think I was some forty-year-old virgin or living like a crazy cat lady or something with the way she talks." She continued to gripe. "I'm only twenty-two. I think my mom forgets that. She forgets that I'm still young, and I still have time to settle down."

"Your mother just wants you to be happy, Haley." Whitey defended gently. "Lydia loves you and only wants you to find someone who loves you just as much."

"I know." She said quietly, sighing again. "I know that all of her prodding is only out of motherly love. But...she makes me feel really horrible. Like there's something wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, sweetie. Nothing at all." He reassured her with absolute sincerity.

Haley smiled softly at him. "Thanks, Whitey."

"Nobody knows when love is gonna sneak up on you." The old man continued. "Like with me and my Camilla. It wasn't love at first sight. Well, it was for me. She shot me down four times before finally giving me a chance."

She laughed, already having heard this story many times. Still, she loved it.

"Stubborn woman, that one." He stated, chuckling. "Just like someone else I know."

Haley narrowed her eyes playfully as he stared pointedly at her.

"You'll find love, Haley James. You'll find someone to share the rest of your life with. You can't predict when that will happen. The important thing is that you never settle. I don't care if it takes you another twenty years or so, don't you ever settle for less than you deserve."

"Twenty years?" She replied, cringing internally. "Well, I certainly hope it doesn't take me that long."

"A pretty girl like you, no." He shook his head. "And as far as your mother is concerned, you just have to placate her. Your parents, they found love when they were much younger than you are now. They have seven children and have made quite a life together. And Lydia, she only wants the same thing for all of you. I know, because I want the same for you, too. She goes overboard a little...a lot, but she means well."

"So, you're telling me to just humor her, right?" Haley questioned, staring imploringly at her "grandfather".

"Yes." Whitey answered, nodding. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Groaning loudly and dramatically, she reluctantly nodded. "Fine. I suppose I can indulge her some more."

"That's my girl." He praised.

"Maybe I can pay someone to come with me to Quinn's wedding." She suggested with a shrug.

"Good lord. There is no need for that." He grumbled, shaking his head. "You are much too pretty and smart to have to resort to that. The wedding is a few months away, and I'm sure, if you really want to, you will find yourself a date. And if not, bring a male friend of yours from New York. Even just to appease that mother of yours."

Haley laughed as Whitey winked at her and then he chuckled deeply along with her.

"Anyway," He began, patting the top of her thigh, "you coming over tomorrow?"

A broad smile broke out on her face and she answered, "Absolutely! I can't wait to see them!"

"Well, they have sure missed you. Just like I have." Whitey told her with a earnest smile. "How long are you in town?"

"Sunday night." Haley answered.

The two shared a look with one another.

"We miss you around here, darling." He told her quietly, reaching out again to grasp her hand in his.

"I know." She whispered, feeling tears invading her eyes. She squeezed his hand gently. "I miss everyone, too."

The plan following graduation from New York University was for Haley to move back home to Tree Hill, North Carolina. Essentially, in eight months, she would be packing up her belongings and leaving the "Big Apple". As much as she loves living in New York, and she does, she misses home just as much. Her family. Whitey. Meeko. Everyone and everything, she misses. Haley grew up here. It may be just a small town compared to Manhattan but that's kind of what she loves most about it. However, if she decides to advance her education any further, she would be staying in New York City for at least two more years. She looked into universities near Tree Hill but she really does love New York University. These are the main reasons why Haley has had such a difficult time trying to decide whether or not to pursue a master's degree.

Haley certainly doesn't hate living in New York. She has wonderful friends, from both the university and "just around" in that city. She has a part-time job that she doesn't necessarily hate. She loves attending NYU. Her apartment is amazing and perfect for her. Living in Manhattan would also provide her with a broader selection of career opportunities. If it weren't for her loved ones back home, Haley would probably consider moving to the big city on a more permanent basis.

"If you ask me..."

Thoughts interrupted, her eyes moved back over to the older man sitting next to her.

"...no man will ever be good enough for you anyway."

A smile formed from Haley's lips at Whitey's words, knowing he meant them.

* * *

><p>Haley stepped into the barn and immediately smiled, her senses going into overdrive. The smell, which some might find revolting, she found welcoming. Peaceful even. Her eyes fluttered across the interior of the barn, taking in the four horses that were locked inside their personal stables. Haley's smile only widened.<p>

"Aunt Haley?"

Haley glanced down at the little girl who was standing at her right, holding her hand. "Yes, Katie?"

"Are we gonna ride them?" Katie asked.

Haley nodded. "Of course. That's why we're here, isn't it?"

The girl smiled a wide, toothy grin and nodded enthusiastically. "Are we going right now?"

"Soon, sweetie." Haley reassured. "First, we need to get him ready, and then, you need to get to know the horse."

Katie looked up at her aunt with innocent confusion.

Haley smiled and then led her niece further into the barn, towards one of the stables. Inside, there was a large, mocha-colored horse with a lighter brown mane and tail. He was a beautiful creature, majestic almost. She unlocked the stable door and opened it as far as it could go. The horse took a step towards her before nudging her gently. Haley laughed.

"Hi, handsome!" She exclaimed with a tiny catch in her throat, and she brushed her right hand through his soft mane as her left hand cradled the side of his face. For a few seconds, she leaned forward and simply rested her forehead against him before glancing back down at her niece. "This is Meeko. He's mine."

"You have a horse?" Katie asked with wide, surprised eyes.

"Yup." Haley nodded. Her eyes gazed over the horse. Instantly, it felt as though all the problems in her life disappeared. She could no longer hear her mother's nagging about finding a husband. There was no stress over any exams. Nor was she pressuring herself about whether or not she should advance her education by pursuing a master's degree. Right now, it was just Haley and Meeko. "I got him seven years ago."

"Wow!" Katie gushed, amazed. "Mommy never told me you had your own horse."

"That's because your mommy's jealous that she doesn't have one." Haley replied, teasing.

Katie giggled as her aunt winked at her.

"Come on, Katie, pet him." Haley prompted. "He won't hurt you."

The little girl hesitated for just a second before her feet carried her over to the horse. She raised her hand and ran the palm of it over the horse's body gently. She smiled brightly as she continued a repetitive petting motion with her small hand against him.

"See." Haley said, sharing a smile with her niece. "He's a very friendly horse."

"Aunt Haley?"

"Huh?"

"Do you think I can get my own horse?" Katie asked, staring up at the older girl with such hope.

"Someday, maybe." Haley answered sincerely. "But they take a lot of work, Katie. Horses need an owner who can take care of them and love them. They're like children."

"So, he's like your child?"

She smiled and nodded. "Exactly."

"Is he old enough to take care of himself now?" Katie asked.

Haley looked down at the girl confused. "What do you mean?"

"You don't live here anymore." Katie stated, matter-of-fact. "Who takes care of Meiko now?"

Haley felt a surge of guilt pass through her at her niece's innocent question. Leaving Tree Hill three years ago was one of the hardest decisions of her life, mainly because of Whitey and these horses, especially Meeko. It was a decision she struggled with for many months, right up until the day she left actually. Whitey had reassured her that he understood and accepted whatever decision she decided on. Something she was grateful for. Without Whitey's support and encouragement, Haley never would have been able to move to New York to attend New York University in the first place.

"Whitey takes care of him and all the others while I'm away." She informed the young girl.

"That grumpy, old man?" Katie asked, wrinkling her nose.

Haley couldn't help but laugh at that. She quickly brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she silently reprimanded herself for her actions. Still, that didn't stop her laughter from subsiding immediately. After a moment, Haley was able to control her laughter.

"Katie, that isn't very nice." She gently scolded her niece.

"That's what daddy calls him." Katie replied with a shrug of her shoulders and then added, "you laughed."

Haley mentally cursed the girl for pointing out her hypocritical behavior. "Yes, I laughed. I shouldn't have." She began to say. "Whitey can be...he may seem like he's grumpy but he's a very kind man, Katie. He gave me Meeko, you know."

"He did?"

"Yeah." She confirmed, nodding her head and smiling. "Whitey gave Meeko to me as a present for my birthday when I was fifteen."

Katie's mouth dropped open wide.

Haley laughed again. "I've known Whitey for a long time, sweetie. He's such a good man. He's like an extra grandpa to me." She said, smiling as she thought of the older man who meant so much to her. She was lost in her thoughts for a couple of minutes before remembering the reason she brought her niece her today with her. Haley looked down at the little girl. "You're gonna ride Meeko today. He is very well-trained so you have nothing to worry about."

"You'll be with me, though, right?" Katie asked, still slightly scared. Her aunt nodded. "The whole time?"

"Of course." Haley immediately reassured as she brushed a fallen strand of hair off the girl's forehead. "I will be by your side the whole time. I promise."

"Okay." The little girl said with a smile.

Over the next thirty minutes, the two girls worked together to get the horses ready. Haley took her time in teaching Katie the proper procedures before riding as well as making sure the two horses were well-groomed and in the right condition to be taken out. She lifted her niece up onto Meeko and held onto the reins before leading him and her chosen horse out of the stables as well as the barn. Knowing Meeko won't take off and that Katie was safe, Haley hopped up onto her own horse. Then, at a slow and gentle pace, the two girls began their ride. Haley chose an easy, well-known course; it was a path that followed into the wooded area behind Whitey's ranch.

Haley glanced around at her surroundings. She knew these woods like the back of her hand. She loved it out here. It was so peaceful and comforting. The fall weather was perfectly beautiful with the fallen, color-changed leaves. There was a slight chill in the air but she was wearing a sweater with a scarf so she was comfortable. As was her niece – no worries there either. Growing up, this was Haley's favorite past time. When she wasn't at school or tutoring or helping her mother out at the cafe, she was in the barns and tending to the horses. Whitey told her she was a natural – just like his Camilla. Haley always thought that was the best compliment anyone has ever given her.

"This is awesome, Aunt Haley!"

Haley smiled widely at her niece, glad the little girl was having such a fun time.

**There you have it! Please let me know what you think!**

**I probably won't be updating another chapter until next Friday, maybe. I'll try to find the time to update sooner, but I don't want to make any promises. Until then!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Hey, I'm back!**

**A huge thanks to NALEYAAF23, 94, saderia, thibbs65, naleyhumor, NALEY23alwaysforever, rocklesson86, ScRuPuLoUs, katlynrose (chapters 1-2), and othfangirl (chapters 1-2) for your lovely reviews. And of course, thank you to all the story/author alerts I have received and continue to receive for this story.**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with **_**One Tree Hill**_**. This story primarily takes place in New York City so I obviously own nothing affiliated with or within the lovely state of New York. I'm also following the Knicks 2012-2013 schedule – the dates, teams, and wins and losses, including the exact scores. And, I obviously don't own the Knicks (BUMMER cause I'd be a millionaire!) - that team belongs to James L. Dolan.**

_October 31, 2012_

Clay sat in his chair, iPhone in his hands as he surfed through his emails. His job never ended as an agent. He had so many clients, well-known clients, who kept his days fairly busy; he had contract deals to negotiate which was year-round as well as endorsement deals, commercial shoots, photo shoots, interviews, and press conferences. Clay didn't mind the hectic lifestyle, though. Being a sports agent is his dream job – he was living his dream, and he wouldn't change a thing about it.

"And, cut!"

At those words, Clay tore his eyes away from the phone in his hands and glanced up. He saw his client walk hastily off the bedroom set, not wasting any time in tugging on a white t-shirt while plopping down onto the empty chair beside him. "You're so bad at this." Clay criticized, laughing. "Which surprises me considering your reputation with women."

"I told you I didn't wanna do this." Nathan said in a low whisper.

"Nate, you've done photo shoots that were more risque than this." The blonde pointed out. "What's the big deal?"

Nathan shrugged and replied, "I don't know. This just felt...really awkward."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It just did."

"Anyway..." Clay uttered, shrugging himself, and decided to change the subject, "...you have any plans for Halloween?"

"Nope." Nathan shook his head. "Did Logan decide on a costume?"

"Yes. Finally." Clay answered with a loud, drawn out groan, and then he grinned widely. "The perfect costume, man. We found, brace yourself...Professor Logan!"

"Who's that?" Nathan asked, confused.

"From _X-Men_." Clay stated, not understanding how his client doesn't already know this. "You've never seen any of those movies?"

Nathan shook his head. "Never looked good to me."

"Dude, how are we friends?" Clay rolled his eyes when all the brunette did was shrug impassively. "Whatever. Professor Logan is one of Logan's, and my, favorite characters so as soon as we saw it, he pleaded with me to get it for him. And, because I'm such an awesome dad, I couldn't refuse."

"That's cool." Nathan commented, nodding, as he tied up the laces of his tennis shoes.

"Logan is going trick-or-treating with some friends tonight so..."

"You're letting your six-year-old go out alone with his friends?" Nathan interrupted, looking at his agent incredulously.

"No, dumbass." Clay said, bemused. "This is New York City, Nathan. What kind of parents do you think we are?"

Nathan laughed as his friend shoved him.

"A couple parents of the other four boys are taking them." Clay explained as his client nodded in understanding. "Anyway, you wanna come over? Sara is making tacos, and let me tell you, her tacos are to die for. And, I'm gonna whip up some freaking awesome, and strong, margaritas."

"I haven't had a margarita in such a long time." Nathan mentioned casually, tugging his sweatshirt on.

"Sara also went overboard with the candy. I'm sure we'll have plenty leftover to eat since we don't get too many trick-or-treaters which is why I don't understand why my wife bought so much to begin with. But that's besides the point, so Sara says. She wants it gone before Logan comes home and finds it."

"You could hide it." Nathan suggested.

Clay expelled a deep chuckle and replied, "Yeah, we tried that last year. I'll tell ya, that kid is too smart for his own good. And, for me and Sara to keep up with."

Nathan laughed and nodded his head in agreement with his friend's last words.

"We've also planned a horror movie marathon, starting with the original _Halloween_." Clay added.

"Your wife likes scary movies?"

"Oh, man, she loves them!"

"I never pegged her for the type." Nathan admitted, surprised.

"Psychological thrillers are my favorites, but Sara...she really loves those 'chase you down the street, stab you over and over, blood and guts galore' ones." The blonde explained. "So, you wanna come over?"

"Sure." Nathan answered. "Sounds like fun, and I'd just spend the night sitting in my apartment eating pizza and drinking beer anyway. Might as well take advantage of your hospitality."

"Well, we love getting taken advantage of." Clay commented as they both chuckled. "So, anyway, the season starts in a couple of days. You ready?"

"When am I ever not ready?" Nathan asked rhetorically with a smug smile. "And, hey, while we're on the subject. My dad, like he does every year, rented out the owner's box for the game so my family is coming. I also invited Jake and Peyton. As usual, your family is more than welcome to come; I'm sure Logan would love it. Oh, and I invited Haley, too."

Clay stared at him with a blank expression.

"Haley James. My neighbor." Nathan tried clarifying. "You met her once about four months ago."

"Oh." Clay muttered slowly as realization set in. A smirk formed from his lips. "The hottie."

"_Hottie_?"

"Yup." The blonde said, nodding his head while grinning. "That's what my son calls her anyway."

"Logan has a crush on my neighbor?" Nathan questioned, amused.

"Big time."

"I bet Sara loves that."

"Actually, she finds it funny. My wife jokes about how Haley could be our daughter-in-law someday."

"That is...disturbing." Nathan commented.

"Tell me about it." Clay said, nodding. "What about Carrie? She comin'?"

"No." The brunette answered immediately. "Carrie and I, we...well, I broke things off with her. She was getting way too clingy."

"I'm sure." Clay mumbled sarcastically. "There's always something you find 'wrong' about your women. Just when I think you might be serious about a girl, you...""

"No, Clay, I'm serious." Nathan insisted adamantly. "She was like...becoming stalkerish." He explained vaguely and saw the doubt on his agent's face. "Look, if you don't believe me, ask Haley. Get this, okay. A couple of nights ago, I wasn't home and Carrie stopped by. When I didn't answer, she started banging on Haley's door. Not only that, but she barged right into the apartment. Carrie was convinced that I was over there or that Haley at least knew where I was. She refused to leave. Haley actually had to threaten to call the police, even dialed the number, to get the girl out."

"Seriously?" Clay asked. "Damn! That's..."

"Crazy?" Nathan finished for the guy who nodded. He nodded, too. "Yeah!"

"Do we need to do something? Like get a restraining order or something?" Clay inquired, his protective nature kicking in as he worried about Nathan, both as his agent and as his friend.

Nathan shook his head and replied, "I don't think so. Carrie is crazy but I think she's harmless crazy. She hasn't tried calling me or stopped by the apartment building since it happened so I'm not too concerned. You'll be the first to know if anything changes."

"Okay." Clay responded, trusting his client yet making a mental note to keep an eye on Carrie. He didn't want any surprises for either of them, especially Nathan. And, Nathan's neighbor. He could only imagine what was going through Haley's head when all of this went down. Clay shook his head. "You wanna grab something to eat?"

"Yes." Nathan answered immediately. "I'm starving!"

* * *

><p>Haley, lagging behind Brooke and Lucas, stepped into the Knick's owner box. Before fully entering, she paused and took in her settings. The room, decorated and furnished in different shades of brown, was small than she expected it to be, considering it belonged to the owner of a professional basketball team. To be honest, though, that is what she liked most. The size created a more personal, intimate even, atmosphere; besides, it was big enough to hold everyone in here tonight comfortably. Nearest to the door was a dinette set with four chairs, a vase with a bouquet of flowers sitting in the center of the table. There was a small kitchen area where a long row of food, both hot and cold, was spread out along the counter. Everything smelled incredible, making her stomach growl in anticipation even though she ate just an hour ago. Four leather chairs formed a wide square in the center of the room. A plasma television was nailed to the side wall and two smaller plasma sets, side by side, were nailed above the bigger one. Then, in front of the large glass window sat two rows of leather chairs along the width of the room. The room had a very welcoming vibe, Haley thought.<p>

As her two friends went to visit with their family, Haley felt her feet moving towards the window. She stood there, rooted in her spot as she stared at the magnificent sight in front of her. She had never been in any kind of basketball arena before tonight and what a treat it was to take in this view from the owner's box. The stands were packed with thousands of people; blue, orange, silver and white were worn by some of the crowd, almost in an amusingly choreographed pattern. Her eyes shifted to the court where both teams, the New York as well as Miami, were warming up by shooting around. As if instinctively, she found Nathan – he wasn't that hard to miss honestly. He looked good, really good, wearing his basketball uniform; his warm up shirt and pants were still on over his actual playing outfit. Haley watched, mesmerized, as he ran gracefully towards the hoop for a layup in which he made effortlessly.

Haley was hardly a basketball fan, or sports fan of any kind really. She was a clumsy, uncoordinated girl who was never that interested in sports – playing or watching. She wasn't completely naive, though – she knew the gist of the game of basketball: scoring is good, fouling is bad, offense and defense, and she knows where the foul shot line is as well as the three-point line. Haley just never understood the general appeal.

Standing here now, though...well, she kind of gets it.

"Wow!" She exclaimed in a whisper.

"Pretty awesome, isn't it?"

Haley jumped, startled by the voice. Twisting her head, she saw a guy with blonde hair standing at her right. She met him once. _Clay_, she thinks that is his name. He is Nathan's agent – pretty damn good one from what she hears; every time she talks to Nathan it seems as though he always has some new type of endorsement deal or something going on. She knew how much her neighbor's net worth was and it sent chills down her spine anytime she thought of it. She was even more surprised that he was her neighbor – not because he was this almost larger than life NBA superstar but because with his bank account, she wondered why he wasn't living in a million dollar penthouse up in the sky or some mansion on the outskirts of town. Haley enjoyed having Nathan as her neighbor, though, so she didn't really mind or dwell too much on where he chose to live.

"Yeah." Haley said, sending him a quick smile before looking back out the window.

Clay smirked at the look of wonder on her face. _Like a kid in a candy store._ "Is this your first basketball game?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

She nodded.

"I'm Clay." He introduced himself. "I don't know if you remember me or..."

"I remember you." She cut him off, glancing at him with a wide smile. "Haley."

"I'm glad you could come." He said sincerely. "I have to admit, when Nathan told me he had invited you...it took me a second or two to remember who you were."

She gasped in mock outrage, looking at him indignantly. "Jerk!"

They both laughed.

"No worries. No offense taken." She reassured him and then looked around the room. "So...Nathan tells me this is something his father has been doing since he was drafted into the NBA."

"Yup. Dan has connections." He said and chuckled at her raised eyebrows. "The Knicks owner is a good friend of Dan's. And considering how ridiculously wealthy the Scotts are...well, there you go."

"Aww, yes." She hummed, nodding her head. "Money gives you the freedom to buy things – and not just tangible things either."

"You're definitely right about that," he agreed.

Haley knew about the Scott family – through Nathan as well as other outside sources. Dan and his wife Deb live in the Hamptons as did Keith and Karen Scott who are Lucas's parents. Dan is the CEO of a major corporation; Deb is the vice president of a worldwide aids research company. Keith owns a chain of car dealerships and auto repair shops across the United States, and Karen owns a renowned night club where some of the most high-profiled celebrities spend their weekend nights. Not only are these four adults successful on their own, Dan and Keith as well as Deb all come from family lines of wealth and power. Haley learned quickly that you couldn't live in New York, particularly Manhattan, and not know the Scott name.

Haley noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Glancing in the direction she saw the movement, she saw that a blonde woman was walking towards them and then saddled up next to Clay, kissing him on the cheek before smiling warmly at her.

"Hi." The girl greeted.

Haley returned the smile. "Hi."

"Haley, this is my wife Sara. Sara, this is Haley, Nathan's neighbor." Clay introduced.

"Oh!" Sara chirped, looking suddenly at her husband.

Haley glanced between the two, growing curious as they shared a look with one another while grinning widely.

"She's the one?" Sara questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"The one what?" Haley couldn't help but ask, not enjoying being on the outside like this, especially when it concerned her.

"You're our future daughter-in-law." Sara told her with a completely serious expression.

It was a good thing Haley wasn't drinking anything because it would have been all over the married couple's faces. She couldn't be any more shocked, and confused, by Sara's words. "I'm sorry, what?" She asked once she was able to actually formulate a few words for herself.

Both Clay and Sara laughed.

Haley, however, wasn't exactly finding this humorous at the moment.

"Our son has a tiny bit of a crush on you." Sara elaborated, pinching the pointer finger and the thumb of her right hand closely to one another.

"Oh, gosh." Haley whispered, blushing furiously.

"It's so sweet!" Sara continued to gush.

Haley didn't really know what to say to the couple. She has never had anyone's parents inform her that they're son had a crush on her. Should she apologize? Laugh it off? _What?_ Maybe she was completely overthinking this. Sara seemed to be thoroughly amused by it. Still, Haley hardly knew how to respond.

"Don't be so embarrassed." Clay told her, nudging her in the shoulder gently. "These things happen – no big deal. It's not like you're an obsession of his or anything like that. The kid is six – it's only a little crush. Logan just refers to you as 'the hottie'."

If possible, she blushed even harder and shook her head. "Yeah, telling me that doesn't temper down the embarrassment, Clay." She reprimanded him.

"You're adorable." Sara commented, smiling broadly.

"Uh...thanks?" Haley replied.

"I'm gonna grab myself a drink." Clay announced and looked between the two woman. "Either of you want anything?"

Haley shook her head. "No but thank you."

"How about a screwdriver?" Sara requested.

"Sure thing, sweetie." He said, leaning down to kiss her cheek before scampering off towards the kitchen area.

"Not a lot of..."

"Vodka." Clay finished for Sara, pausing momentarily in his stride to turn and wink at his wife. "I know."

Haley smiled at the couple. The way they looked at each other and spoke to each other, as well as their mannerisms and their simple touches – it was very clear these two are very much in love with one another. Haley couldn't help but feel slightly envious, which surprised her considering she isn't longing for it. Of course, she wants that someday – Haley just didn't need it right this very second.

"So..." Sara began, turning to face the brunette once again, "...you excited about the game?"

"I am." Haley answered. "I've never been to one of these things before. I've never even been inside this building before."

"Yeah?" Sara questioned, surprised.

Haley nodded her head, furthering to confirm her words. "Nope. I've lived in the city for over three years and not once. It's weird, isn't it?"

"Not really." Sara reassured. "If you had no reason or interest in coming here then why do it?"

Haley quickly realized that she liked Sara – she was friendly and easy to talk to, seemed funny and just fun in general.

The two girls' conversation was interrupted by Lucas's arrival. Sara took that moment to excuse herself and strolled over to her husband who was still in the kitchen area, fixing some drinks and nibbling on some snacks. Haley smiled at her guy friend, as well as the two people who had accompanied him.

"Haley, these are my parents Keith and Karen." Lucas introduced. "Mom, Dad, this is Haley James. She's Nathan's neighbor and a friend of mine and Brooke's."

"Hi, it's very nice to meet you." Haley greeted warmly, shaking both their hands.

"Yes, likewise." Karen stated, smiling a very sincere, motherly smile.

Keith also smiled at the young woman, just as kindly. "Have you been living near Nathan long?" He asked her.

Haley shook her head. "Not too long. I moved in about sixteen months ago."

"What do you do?" Karen asked.

"Oh, well...I work at The Grange." Haley responded. "It's only part-time, though. I'm a senior at NYU actually."

"Oh!" The older woman chirped. "Good for you. What are you studying?"

"English literature with a minor in psychology." She answered.

"Do you know what career direction you want to venture into following graduation?" Karen continued to prod, wanting to get to know this young woman who her daughter-in-law talks about from time to time.

"I have...some ideas." Haley said, letting out a small laugh. "But right now, I'm just trying to decide whether or not to go to graduate school."

Karen smiled brightly. "That's wonderful, dear."

Deb Scott stood in the near distance, eavesdropping shamelessly on Keith and Karen's conversation with this young woman. She has never met this girl before, has never even heard of her. Ordinarily, she would have just ignored this as she really doesn't have any interest in "normal" people – they were below her social status and completely insignificant. However, the second Deb heard the girl was her son's neighbor her ears perked up with interest. Deb took in the girl's appearance. _Haley_ was wearing a charcoal gray sweater with "I (heart) NY" on the front with a pair of medium-wash jeans and some red flats; her brown hair was up in a messy bun and she wore very minimal makeup. This young woman was pretty, Deb supposed, in a plain sort of way.

"Hello." She greeted, plastering on a fake smile while stepping forward to include herself into the conversation. "I'm Deborah Scott."

Haley smiled at the woman, instantly recognizing her in a picture in Nathan's apartment. This was his mother. She was even more beautiful in person. "Hi. Haley James."

"James." Deb stated, inquisitive. "I'm sorry, dear, but that name isn't ringing a bell."

"Probably not." Haley laughed and shook her head. "I grew up in Tree Hill, North Carolina. It's just a small town along the coast. I'm from a middle-class family. Just...an average girl, I guess."

"Is that so?" Deb hummed, eyeing the young woman.

Haley felt uncomfortable with the look this woman was sending her way. The look was...accusing and cold; she could feel Deb silently judging her with this look. Haley didn't feel that way with Keith and Karen, who were friendly and more than inviting.

"You're a waitress, did I hear that correctly?" Deb asked.

"Yes." Haley confirmed, nodding her head. "At The Grange."

"Haley," Deb began, taking a small step closer to her son's neighbor, "may I ask you a question?"

"Sure. Of course." Haley said, somewhat nervously.

"How is it that you can afford such a nice place?" Deb asked.

"Excuse me?" Haley responded, caught off guard.

"Aunt Deb, that isn't any of your business." Lucas immediately jumped in, dismayed by his aunt's intrusive and rude question.

Deb glanced at her nephew with a raised eyebrow. "Lucas, dear, it is kind of my business. Nathan is my son." She then turned her attention back onto the petite brunette who was clearly still stunned by her question. "I know how much my son pays for his apartment, and I know how much my son is worth. And, I'm sorry but there's no way a young college student could afford such a nice place on a waitress's salary." Deb finished, not pulling any punches as she stared at the girl evenly.

Haley squirmed under Deb's direct, unblinking gaze.

"What my wife means is..." Dan joined in, pushing himself up and out of the leather chair and moving to stand next to his wife, "...that we want to make sure our son is not being taken advantage of, especially by some gold digger."

"Dan!" Karen cried, appalled.

Haley's mouth opened wide at the man's harsh, unexpected words. She felt so insulted by his blunt accusation; it was very clear what he thought of her. She knew she wasn't some high-class socialite or a high-profiled celebrity nor did she have a successful career at this particular moment, but that didn't automatically make her some..._gold digger_. Haley did not appreciate being so quickly judged in this way, especially by people who didn't even know her.

"Danny, that's enough." Keith warned, glaring at his younger brother.

"I'm just trying to clear the air here." Dan justified before focusing his attention back on the petite brunette. "You're just a waitress, at a bar that I'm guessing pays minimum wage if you're only part-time. My son is worth millions, hundreds of millions maybe."

Collecting herself, Haley forced a tight smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Scott, I understand your concerns regarding your son but I have no interest in trying to take advantage of him. We aren't even together like that – we're just friends and neighbors." She reassured and paused a moment before continuing. "I don't need Nathan's money. I live within my means as I, too, have some family money that helps pay for my rent and utilities, and any other expenses I may have."

"You said your family is middle-class." Deb reminded the young girl, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, that is true." Haley stated, inhaling and exhaling a quiet breath. "But that doesn't mean I can't inherit money."

"Care to elaborate?" Deb continued to pry, none too friendly.

"No, I don't." Haley said simply and saw the look of surprise, and anger, flash over both of Nathan's parents' faces. "As your nephew said, it is none of your business. With all due respect, of course. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna find a seat so I can watch this game."

Dan and Deb stared, stunned, at the young girl as she turned and walked swiftly over to the large window and plopped down in one of the chairs. They had to hand it to the girl – she had a backbone and was quick to stand up for herself. She even seemed nice enough, at least by outside appearances. But still, Dan and Deb didn't trust her.

**OTHOTHOTH**

Nathan, finished with a shower and now dressed in his slightly wrinkled, light blue dress shirt and some faded jeans, left the dressing room and strolled back out to the basketball arena with one of his teammates. He immediately spotted his family and Haley standing on the sidelines of the court. Jake and Peyton as well as Clay, Sara, and Logan must have left already, not that he was surprised by that considering the kids and it was fairly late. Nathan's eyes zoned in on Haley who was standing with Lily, his little cousin. The two girls were laughing about something unknown but clearly amusing. Smiling at the sight, Nathan continued to walk towards them all.

"Later, man."

He glanced at his teammate and nodded. "See ya, Skills."

Nathan watched as the guy sent him a quick quirk of his lips before venturing off to the right, away from him and towards his waiting wife.

"Honey!"

He winced somewhat at this mom's piercing squeal. Before he knew it, she came barreling into him. He rolled his eyes but did return her almost bone-crushing hug. "Hey, Mom." He greeted with an even tone.

"You played so great!" Deb complimented, pulling back and finally releasing her hold on her son.

"Thanks." Nathan responded with a sincere smile.

"My son, the best NBA player ever." Dan boasted proudly, smirking.

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, Dad." Nathan muttered, rolling his eyes again, and then stated, "the greatest player was and always will be Michael Jordan."

"Maybe back when he still played ball. Now, you definitely fill that role." Dan argued.

"Okay." Nathan simply replied before moving forward and giving his cousin a short hug. "Luke."

"Good game." Lucas said, striking his cousin lightly on the back a couple of times. "Well, the Knicks won tonight. Plan to keep that undefeated record going all season?"

"We'll see." Nathan answered, shrugging, and then smiled at the brunette. "Hey, Brooke." He greeted, kissing her on the cheek and hugging her.

"Hey, Nate." The dimpled beauty greeted. "You looked sexy out there tonight."

"Hey, now. Careful." Lucas advised, sending a warning look at his wife.

Brooke shrugged innocently. "Broody, you know I only speak the truth and the truth is, your cousin did look sexy out on that court. He usually does. But don't worry, babe, you're still my number one guy."

Lucas playfully glared at his wife.

Nathan smirked. "Thank you, Brooke." He shifted his eyes back to his cousin. "You can't blame her for checking me out, Luke. It's only natural considering I am ridiculously sexy. Especially when I'm playing basketball – you know, all sweaty."

"Oh, God." Haley mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Excuse me?" Nathan inquired, his eyes now on the petite brunette. He grinned broadly at her. "Did you say something there, Hales?"

Haley shook her head and replied, "your ego never ceases to amaze me."

"Admit it." He stared imploringly at his neighbor. "You think I'm sexy, too. Just admit it. No one will think any less of you."

"I will." Lucas muttered.

Haley glanced at the blonde. "Don't worry, I would, too." She said, agreeing with him as they both laughed.

"You two..." Nathan began, his gaze alternation between them, "...you're not funny."

"Yes, we are. And you think we are, too. Come on, admit it." Haley said, turning his words around on him. "No one will think any less of you if you do."

Nathan smirked at her innocent smile. "Oh, Hales. Has anyone ever told you that you're kind of a smart ass?"

"Maybe once or twice." She responded, winking at him. "Kidding aside, that was a great game, Nathan."

"Did you even know what was going on out there?" He challenged.

Her mouth dropped open in mock defense. "Yes." He sent her a pointed look. "Fine. No, not necessarily." She conceded as he laughed. "But, I know the important things. Like I know when the ball goes through the hoop, it's a good thing. That's all that really matters, right?"

"In Haley's world, yes, that's all that matters." He told her, laughing when she reached out to smack him. He was quick to latch onto her arms, though, and pulled her into him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly, swaying their bodies back and forth in an overly dramatic fashion. "You completely amuse me, Haley James."

"I'm glad." Haley said, laughing.

Deb pursed her lips, unhappy with the playful, _and flirty_, banter between her son and his neighbor. Glancing at her husband, she could see that Dan was as equally unpleased at the moment. She could see the wheels turning in his head; he was trying to figure out a way to stop...whatever may be happening there, and for once, she deemed fit to support him one hundred percent. They wouldn't just stand back and watch their son make a mistake. That girl isn't right for Nathan - she is just some middle-class nobody. Their family, on both sides, come from great wealth and there were certain _standards_ expected with that. Deb only wanted to protect her son and their entire family.

"Well," she began, clapping her hands together and effectively causing Nathan and that girl to separate, "we should probably get going."

Nathan nodded his understanding, internally relieved as he didn't want to spend a second longer with his parents.

Deb plowed forward, close to knocking Haley out of the way, to hug her son again. "You were so great tonight, honey."

"Thanks, Mom."

She kissed her son on the cheek soundly.

"Good game, son." Dan praised once more, extending his hand.

Nathan accepted the gesture and shook his father's hand. "Thanks again, Dad."

The hugging followed by "goodbyes" continued between Nathan, Keith, Karen, Lily, Lucas, and Brooke until it was only Nathan and Haley left.

"You ready to go home?" He asked her.

She smiled and nodded. "Lead the way, superstar."

"You have been hanging out with Brooke too long." He said, cringing at his cousin's nickname for him. He hated it. "Please don't call me that."

She smirked but consented, "Fine, I won't."

"Thank you." He replied in gratitude. "Now, let's get out of here. I'm exhausted."

Nathan led Haley out of Madison Square Garden and to the parking garage where his black SUV was parked. The two climbed into the vehicle and buckled up before he started the engine and reversed out of the spot. Shifting the gear to DRIVE, he followed the "idiot-proof" arrows that directed him out of the garage and onto the street. They drove in silence for just a couple of minutes before Nathan broke it.

"So, how long did my parents grill you?"

Haley whipped her head towards him and saw the smirk he was sporting. "How did..."

He chuckled and said, "I know my parents, Hales. I know exactly how they can be. How scrutinizing they can be."

"They weren't...that bad." Haley told him and saw the pointed look he sent her way. "Okay, they were a little...I don't even know the word to use."

"What'd they say?" Nathan prodded.

"It doesn't matter." She said, shaking her head.

Stopping at a red light, he glanced at her. "What, Hales? Just tell me."

"It's not a big deal, Nathan." She assured. "They just...weren't impressed that I'm a waitress. That's all."

Nathan rolled his eyes, annoyed with his parents snobbish behavior. He should have known they would react that way. It didn't matter that Haley is a senior at a private university and even in the top fifteen percentage academically. It didn't matter that she was considering to further her education even – knowing Haley, she will. Nor did it matter that she actually worked a part-time job on top of going to school full-time. All his parents could focus on was her job title. She was "just a waitress" to them. Nathan felt so ashamed of his parents for their narrow-minded views.

"I'm sorry." He apologized quietly.

"Why are you sorry?" She questioned, confused.

"My parents, they're..."

"They're their own people, Nathan." She interrupted him. "It's just how they are. It's okay. I didn't take it personally."

"Sure you didn't." He countered, sending her a pointed look and smiling when she smiled. She blushed while biting down on her lower lip. That sight, for some unknown reason, sent shocks through his body. "You, Haley James, don't fool me. Besides, I know my parents."

"Well, you haven't met my parents, have you?" She countered with raised eyebrows.

"Aww, yes." He hummed. "The infamous James clan."

"Yup. My parents are very similar to your parents with the poking and prodding. They're just nice about it." Haley informed him as they both laughed. "My mom's worse, but mainly it's only with my love life. It's all out of motherly concern and love, though, I suppose."

"Wonder what that's like." He muttered.

She glanced at him. Her heart broke at his words and the solemn look on his face as he stared straight ahead. "Your mom is proud of you. That was clear tonight." She reassured him.

"My mother likes to play the loving mother in front of other people, Haley."

"What do you mean?"

"She's always been like that." Nathan began to explain. "Her job takes her traveling a lot. Months at a time sometimes even. She was gone for most of my childhood and teenage years."

"I'm sure she really loves you, Nathan," said Haley gently.

"No, I know that." Nathan was quick to reply. "I know my mom loves me. It's just...there's a lot of pretending and overcompensating with our relationship."

"Well, at least she's there for you now. Even if it's a little misguided." Haley said, reaching out and placing her left hand over his right one resting on the middle console.

Nathan glanced briefly at their somewhat joined hands before looking at her and saying, "Yeah, you're right."

They smiled warmly at one another.

**There you go. Please let me know what you think.**

**I hope to have a new chapter for you guys soon. It should be some time next week – not sure when. Until then. :)**


	4. Chapter Four

**I'm back with another chapter.**

**As always, a huge thanks to NALEYAAF23, amkjo001, jena23, saderia, thibbs65, rocklesson86, ScRuPuLoUs, NaleyWriter23, kutebloo, NALEY23alwaysforever, ktlynrose, C, naleyhumor, 94, tp404, Hayleyjanescott, othfangirl, and 2naley (chapters 1-3) for your wonderful reviews. They put a giant smile on my face. :) And, thank you so much for the story/author alerts I have received and continue to receive for this story.**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with **_**One Tree Hill**_**. This story primarily takes place in New York City so I obviously own nothing affiliated with or within the lovely state of New York.**

_November 27, 2012_

Sighing softly, Haley opened her eyes and pulled the headphones out of her ears before turning the currently playing song off. She wrapped the headphones chord around the width of the iPod and set the device safely down on top of the toilet seat. Hesitating for just a couple seconds longer, she pushed herself up and out of the water. Honestly, Haley could have stayed in the relaxing tub all night but unfortunately the temperature of the water was growing cooler and cooler with each passing minute. She reached for the towel hanging on a rack nearby and pat her body dry before securing the long, soft fabric completely around her body. Her hair was up and still dry so she didn't have to hassle with it. Haley stepped out of the bathtub, her feet landing on the rug.

Haley left the bathroom and strolled into her bedroom. From her dresser drawer, she dug out a pair of simple white, cotton panties and pulled them up her legs before grabbing some fuzzy pink socks and slipped them onto her feet. Moving to her closet, she picked out a pink tank top with a built-in bra and some pink, purple and green flannel pajama pants as well as her pink NYU sweatshirt, and she dressed. While adjusting the sweatshirt to fit around her waist, Haley heard the door of her apartment open and close.

_What the hell?_

Quickly reaching for the metal baseball bat she kept under the bed, Haley slowly made her way out of the room. She tiptoed quietly through the hallway, gripping the bat tightly which caused her knuckles to turn white. Her heart was pounding. The palms of her hands were beginning to perspire. A break-in, oddly, wasn't something Haley worried about. Her first two years living in New York City were spent in the dorms of the university – she felt safe there. When she moved into this apartment, she felt equally safe considering the complex was located in a better part of Manhattan. She only kept the bat under her bed because her mother begged her to do something, naturally and understandably concerned for her daughter's safety. Haley arrived in the living room and found who had "broken" into her apartment.

"What the fu...dammit, Nathan!" She exclaimed.

From his spot in the kitchen, Nathan didn't acknowledged her with any looks but nonchalantly greeted, "Hey, Hales."

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" She quipped.

He shrugged, unapologetic. "Maybe you should lock your door if you're so concerned." He stated, sending her a pointed glance.

"Maybe you shouldn't barge into someone's apartment like you own it." Haley countered, setting the bat down on the wide, plush chair in the living room. "I could have been walking around here naked, you know."

Nathan turned towards her, taking a moment to let his eyes gaze over the length of her body and he smirked, "That wouldn't have been so bad."

"Maybe for you." She muttered, walking into the kitchen. "What are you doing here? Wait a minute..." She paused immediately in her stride and glanced towards her door, "please tell me you're not hiding out in here."

"Hiding out?" He asked her, confused.

"Yeah, hiding out." She repeated with a sharp tone. "You don't, like...have some girl in your apartment that you're trying to escape from, do you?"

"No." He answered with a small laugh.

"Good, because I cannot handle anymore crazy, Nathan." She responded, glaring pointedly at him. "I'm still recovering from the last one."

"How many times do I have to apologize for that, Hales?" He asked her with a loud sigh.

"I don't know. How about...infinitely?"

Nathan laughed again, nodding his consent. "Fine. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Haley, I am so very very sorry."

"That's a start." Haley agreed, laughing herself, as she continued her stride into the kitchen. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I was hungry."

"And, you don't have food at your place?"

"I have water, Gatorade, and beer in my fridge, Haley." He informed her. "So no, I have no food at my place. I haven't had the time to really go grocery shopping."

"You have time now." She pointed out.

"Please, Hales." He said with a snort. "I just got home from a four-hour practice. I'm exhausted. The last thing I wanna do is go to a busy supermarket to shop. Besides, why do that when I know I can just come over here and raid your refrigerator." He winked at her.

"You know, there's this thing called ordering in. You should try it sometime." She suggested, opening a cabinet door and reaching inside for a glass bowl. She then pulled out a box of cereal from the pantry and dumped some into the bowl. "Would you grab the milk for me?"

"Sure." He replied, handing her the milk she asked for, wanting to gag when he saw it was skim milk. "Cereal, Haley. Really?"

Haley smiled widely while nodding enthusiastically. "It's Cap'n Crunch and Berries – my favorite! I've been craving it since I got home."

Nathan chuckled.

"Hey, I'm going grocery shopping on Wednesday after class." She informed him and then offered, "give me a list and I'll get some stuff for you."

"Really?"

"Of course!" She chirped with a shrug. "I'm there – might as well get your groceries, too."

"Okay. I'll make you a list tonight." He said, not hesitating in accepting her offer. He really hates grocery shopping. "Thanks."

"No problem." She sing-songed.

Haley watched as her neighbor came to stand at her side. He made himself a roast beef sandwich with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise. When that was finished, he reached into the pantry and pulled out a bag of baked barbeque chips and placed two handfuls onto a plate along with the sandwich. He looked so...domestic right now. He juggled the items used to make his sandwich in his hands and then reached for the milk before putting everything back in the refrigerator while also pulling out two bottles of water and handing one to her. Haley thanked him as he nodded.

The two grabbed their individual meals and headed into the living room, plopping down on the couch.

"You're just in time." Haley stated, using the remote to flick the television on. "_Eddie_ is about to start."

"_Eddie_? The basketball movie?" Nathan questioned.

"Yup." She nodded and then wrinkled her nose. "You stink. Like...sweat, and not in a good way."

"Sorry." He apologized. "I was starving so I didn't shower before coming over here."

"Bad call." She muttered.

The neighbors sat quietly for the next thirty minutes, eating their food and drinking their waters as they watched the movie.

"You kind of remind me of Stacy Patton." Haley randomly stated.

"What?" Nathan asked, staring at the brunette. "The guy's a jerk, Hales. He's an egotistical ball hog."

"I know." She shrugged. "Your point?"

"My poi...Haley, I am not like that guy." He argued. "Do you really think I'm like him?"

Haley turned to look at him with a grin. "No, not really but your reaction was pretty funny."

Nathan narrowed his eyes and replied, "you're not funny but are you serious?"

"About what?" She asked, confused.

"I don't really remind you of Stacy Patton, do I?"

Haley heard the quiet, vulnerable tone of his voice. Nathan may be a smoking hot NBA superstar but deep at his roots, he's just as insecure as the next person. He needs validation of certain things in his life just like other people do. It is nice to know there is more to this guy than just being a rich celebrity. Many people, she guesses, don't care to know the real Nathan Scott but she does. She doesn't care about his celebrity status nor does she care how many millions he is worth; she cares about him as a person. Haley smiled at him.

"No, Nathan, you absolutely don't remind me of Stacy Patton." She reassured.

"Thanks, Hales." He said, full of gratitude, as they shared a smile with one another. He then changed the subject by asking, "So, when are you leaving to go back to North Carolina?"

"Oh, I'm not." Haley answered and saw the look of surprise on his face. She laughed. "I just can't do it this year. First of all, I have so much stuff to get done for my graduate school application. And secondly, I can't deal with any wedding planning right now. I need a break from it. But most importantly, I cannot sit and listen to my mother grill me about finding a husband. I..I can't do it, Nathan. I'll go home for Christmas and that's enough."

"I get that." Nathan replied in understanding. "You wanna come to my house for Thanksgiving dinner? You shouldn't be alone for the holiday."

"Aww, how sweet." She cooed, reaching over to pinch his cheek and laughed as he groaned, pulling away from her. "I actually picked up a few shifts at the bar, including Thanksgiving night. It's one of the busiest drinking nights of the year which means..."

"Tips." He finished for her.

She nodded. "You got it."

"Just as well." Nathan stated with a shrug. "My parents will be there."

Haley raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh, then that's a definite no."

The two of them laughed.

* * *

><p>Nathan opened the door of his parent's house, more like mansion, and stepped inside. He immediately caught a whiff of something delicious – more than just something really. He could smell the turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green bean casserole and so much more, as well as pies and cookies and brownies. His stomach was rumbling already. Nathan knew the food would be as scrumptious as it smelled as it was all prepared by his Grandma Mae and his Aunt Karen. His mother and Brooke did not cook – they ordered in. Lily was too young to slave away in the kitchen; the eight-year-old was probably playing with her makeup as she was all into playing "dress up" thanks to her fashionista of a sister-in-law. Nathan shed out of his jacket and hung it up in the coat closet at his left.<p>

Hearing laughter, Nathan strolled through the house and moved closer and closer to the loudness. He knew the voices – his father and his grandfather and they were watching a basketball game it sounded like. Quickly and carefully, he slipped past the opening to the den in hopes of escaping a greeting with either of them, at least for now. He passed through the dining room where Lucas and Brooke were busy setting the table; they stopped what they were doing to say their "hello's". Nathan continued his journey into the kitchen where he found his aunt.

"Hey, Aunt Karen." He greeted with a smile.

"Nathan!" Karen replied happily and hugged him. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving." He repeated, embracing her hug warmly. There was always something so comforting about being around his aunt. After a few more seconds, he separates from their embrace and asks, "So, the lazy bastards left you in here to do all the work, huh?"

"Nathan." She admonishes, disapproving of his choice of words. She did have to laugh, though, so she wasn't as offended as she first showed to be. "No. Your grandmother was in here helping me, but she and your mother are collecting some bottles of wine from the cellar."

"We can never have too much alcohol around this house." He mumbled, knowing how his mom loves to drink, and rolled his eyes.

"What do you have there?" Karen asked, pointing to the object in his hands.

"Oh," Nathan began, glancing down at his hands and then holding it out towards her, "This is Oreo dirt pudding. Haley made it for me to bring today. She told me to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving from her."

"That's so thoughtful." She replied, taking the dish. "Is she still in the city?"

He nodded.

"You should have brought her along with you today." She said. "Despite what your parents thought, I found Haley to be a lovely girl. And, I give her a lot of credit for going to school while also working a part-time job."

"She liked you and Uncle Keith as well." Nathan told his aunt. "She actually wanted to work at the bar today since it's one of the busier drinking days of the year. Lots of tips."

They both laughed.

"Well, she probably didn't want to come here knowing your parents are here anyway." Karen muttered with a sigh, remembering how awful Dan and Deb were to the young woman. "I tell you, Nathan, I love your parents but they are..."

Nathan nodded his understanding. "I completely agree with you." He feels exactly the same way as his aunt does. "If Haley wanted to come, though...well, my parents would have had to just deal with it."

Karen smiled at her nephew who was, thankfully, nothing like his parents. "How about I send a big plate full of everything home with you to give to her?"

Nathan smiled at her thoughtful suggestion and nodded. "She certainly loves to eat." He said as they laughed some more.

"There's my grandson!"

Nathan turned at the sound of his Grandma Mae's voice and saw her entering the kitchen. He couldn't help but quickly glance behind her to make sure his mother wasn't with her. Like his father and grandfather, he wasn't quite ready to deal with his mother either. Luckily, Deb was nowhere in sight. Nathan met his grandmother halfway and the two embraced in a tight hug.

"Who's Haley?" Mae questioned, cutting straight to the point as she smiled up at him. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "A girlfriend perhaps?"

"Sorry, Grandma, but she's just a friend. My neighbor actually." Nathan answered.

"Friends is a good way to start." Mae commented, winking at her grandson.

Nathan glanced back at his aunt for a little help but all Karen did was shrug slightly before offering him a smirk-like smile. "I'm just gonna grab myself a beer and leave this kitchen. I'm also gonna pretend that we never had this conversation." He informed them while quickly shuffling over to the fridge to indeed reach for a beer and sent them both a smile before heading towards the entryway. As soon as he was outside the kitchen, Nathan heard their laughter.

He paused in the hall, trying to decide which direction he wanted to go. He certainly wasn't going to go back in that kitchen – not with the promise of more prodding about his "relationship" with Haley; besides, the two women were cooking and baking – two things he wasn't interested in in the slightest nor was he interested in helping Lucas and Brooke in the dining room. But, he did not want to go into the den either. He was still in a good mood and hanging out with his father and grandfather was sure to put a damper on that good mood.

"Nathan!"

_Saved by his little cousin!_

Lily came running towards him, and Nathan easily scooped her up in his arms.

"Happy Thanksgiving." He set her back down on the floor and his eyes scanned the length of her. She was wearing a dress with colorful patterns all over it. There was a pink feather boa wrapped around her neck and a plastic tiara on her head. Her nails were pained in different bright colors: purple, orange, blue, yellow, and green. Her makeup was heavily painted on her face, including blue eye shadow and pink blush and red lipstick. Surprisingly enough, the makeup didn't look that bad – at least not for a little girl who was simply playing and experimenting. "You look awfully pretty today, Lily."

Lily smiled a wide, toothy grin at him, obviously pleased by his compliment. "Can I paint your nails, Nathan?"

"What?" Nathan questioned, not sure if he heard her correctly. Or maybe he was just hoping he didn't.

"Your nails." Lily repeated, pointing to his hands. "Can I paint them?"

"Oh, gosh, Lily." He wasn't sure exactly what to say. "I don't know."

"Please!" The girl pleaded, pouting her lower lip. "Lucas won't let me paint his. Please!"

He knew he was screwed now with that adorable look of hers. "Well, since you said please I kind of have to, don't I?" He replied, smiling.

Lily squealed with delight and immediately latched onto his hand, tugging him along with her to the family room located at the back of the house.

Nathan laughed at the sight before him. His cousin had put together a little spot with a bunch of dress-up clothes and a makeup kit with some of the products spread over the coffee table, including half a dozen bottles of nail polish. He sighed when he saw them. Honestly, Nathan was not looking forward to getting his nails painted and he could only hope that his friendly neighbor has some nail polish remover that he can use when he gets home. He was willing to do this for the little girl who wanted desperately to do this but he was not willing to go to his game tomorrow with painted nails. He would never live that down from his teammates and could only imagine the field day the media reporters would have with it. Yes, his first stop when he gets home is to Haley's apartment. Nathan plopped down on the carpet and held out his hands, watching as Lily picked out a bottle of bright pink nail polish and set to work.

_Pink. Perfect._

"Is Haley your girlfriend?" Lily asked as she began painting the nail of his thumb.

Nathan was caught off guard by his cousin's more than random question. "Why would you think that, Lils?"

Lily shrugged in such an innocent way and said, "you were hugging her at the game. Like mommy and daddy do."

Nathan chuckled and shook his head. "No, Lily, Haley isn't my girlfriend. She's just a friend of mine."

"I liked her." She told him. "She was really nice."

"Well, I like her, too, Lily." He said with a smile.

Karen walked into the family room to tell Lily it was time to eat when she stopped short at the comical scene in front of her. There, in the middle of the room, sat her daughter and her nephew – Lily was blowing on Nathan's nails. Looking closely, Karen saw the bright pink that was freshly painted on his nails. A giggle expelled from her lips and she quickly covered her mouth with her left hand. This was certainly something you didn't see everyday. Karen has watched Nathan grow up over the past twenty-six years and could hardly believe this was that same "macho" nephew of hers.

"Hey, you two." She called out, waiting as they looked at her. "Dinner's ready. Come on, Lily, let's go wash up. Okay?"

Lily jumped up and ran towards her mother, grabbing onto the hand Karen had stretched out to her.

Nathan laughed when his aunt pointed to his hand. He looked down at his nails for a brief second and then back up to her. He shrugged, and then she smiled warmly at him before leading the little girl out of his sight. Pressing the palms of his hands flat on the table's surface, Nathan used the leverage to help push himself up from his position on the floor. He stretched his slightly stiff muscles before strolling out of the family room. Nathan headed straight for the dining room where Lucas and Brooke were sitting.

"Nice nails, cuz." Lucas complimented, gesturing to the pink polish on his cousin's fingernails.

Nathan smiled.

"Very sexy, superstar." Brooke complimented, smirking.

Nathan looked at the two with a smirk of his own, unashamed of his painted nails. "I think Lily did a fantastic job – it's the perfect color choice for me, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah." Brooke nodded. "Pink is definitely your color."

"Every color is my color." He replied smugly, laughing as Lucas rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe you let Lily paint your nails." Lucas said in amusing disbelief.

"Well, I'm a nice cousin." Nathan explained and stared pointedly at his cousin. "Unlike her big brother."

"I let my little sister guilt me into all kinds of things." Lucas defended himself and scoffed when his wife shot him a look. "What? I do."

"Whatever you say." Brooke mumbled, taking a sip of her wine.

Lucas ignored her comment and locked eyes with his cousin once more. "You planning on wearing that for your game tomorrow?"

Nathan opened his mouth to respond when someone beat him to it.

"Yeah!" Lily exclaimed from behind him. "You have to, Nathan!"

"Lily, sweetie," Nathan began gently, lowering down to rest on one knee to be at eye level with her, "I can't wear this to my game."

"Why? Will you get in trouble?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, but..."

"Then why not?" She asked with so much innocence. "Please, Nathan."

Nathan felt his heart break at the hopeful look on his little's cousin's face. "Fine. I will wear the nail polish for my game tomorrow." He caved, not being able to resist her pleading eyes.

Lucas immediately cracked up laughing. "Oh, man, this is perfect!"

"Thank you, Nathan." Lily said, throwing her arms around his shoulders.

Nathan smiled and replied, "you're welcome, Lils."

The two cousins separated when they heard the rest of their family shuffling closer to the dining room.

"Hey, Nate," Lucas said, capturing his cousin's attention, "what time is your game again? Because, dude, I've gotta watch. I can't wait to see what will be said about you tomorrow night! I can see the headlines now – _Nathan Scott, the next Dennis Rodman?_. What's next, cuz, you gonna jazz up your hair?"

Nathan glared at Lucas as he laughed even harder. "Go ahead – laugh it up."

"Be nice, Broody." Brooke chastised her husband. "Nathan is doing something nice, and...well, embarrassing," she paused, letting out a quiet giggle, "for your sister. At least he has the balls to actually go through with it."

"Hey!" Lucas cried, not missing that insult.

Brooke simply shrugged in response.

Nathan laughed.

This particular conversation ended, or was at least put on hold, when wall the others entered the room.

"Hey, son." Dan greeted upon seeing Nathan. "When did you get here?"

Nathan leaned in to hug his father. "Not that long ago."

Dan patted his son on the back a couple of times before inching out of the embrace. "Well, I'm glad you didn't have a game today and could be here for the holiday."

"Dan Scott is glad that I don't have a game." Nathan stated sarcastically. "Have I entered into some alternate universe or something?"

Dan rolled his eyes. "Tread lightly there, Nathan."

Nathan laughed at his old man and then saw his grandfather. "Hey, Grandpa."

"Nathan." Royal Scott greeted, shaking his grandson's hand as he wasn't big on hugging. "I caught that game of yours yesterday."

"Yeah?" Nathan questioned with a smile. "The Bucks didn't stand a chance."

"Don't get too cocky, Nathan." Royal advised. "You've lost four games out of the ten you've played. Four games where you should have won. And don't get me started on your game against Houston. You lost by twenty-eight points. That is unacceptable."

Nathan fought every urge in him to tell his grandpa to "F" off. His mom, thankfully, knew when the right time to intervene was, having sat through this same conversation many times in the past. She asked everyone to take their seats so they could eat. Nathan pulled out his chair, taking a seat at one end of the table, between his mother and Lily. Unfortunately, his grandfather sat directly across from him but at least his father was on the opposite end of the table; you win some and you lose some – a little bit of both in this situation.

"So, Nathan," Royal began again as soon as everyone had piled their plates full with food, "what was wrong with you last night?"

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked, confused.

"You only scored twenty-seven points. And you had eight turnovers."

"It was fine, Grandpa." Nathan defended. "I was just having an off kind of night. We still won."

"I don't know how with how badly you played." The older man criticized. "You're better than that. You aren't one of the highest paid players in the league based on your looks, you know."

"Yes, I am aware of that." Nathan muttered.

"You've gotta have the talent." Royal continued. "Last night's game, that talent was seriously lacking."

Nathan said nothing as he kept his eyes focused on his plate. The hand that was wrapped around his beer was clutching the bottle pretty tightly, though. Why did their family gatherings always lead to this conversation in some way or another – it never failed. His grandfather could only ever highlight the negatives to his playing – never the positives. Nathan didn't have the energy to deal with this tonight. He was so exhausted due to the constant traveling mixed with his games and practices. This was nothing new really – he's been living this life for the past four, almost five, years. Normally, he loves it. Nathan has just been feeling the extra strain this season for some reason.

"Lucas, dear," Mae jumped in, taking the attention off her one grandson and transferring it onto her other grandson, "your mother tells me you've finished your fourth book."

Lucas nodded his confirmation. "Yes, I have. I am currently going through what I hope is my last round of editing."

"That's wonderful!" She praised. "I can't wait to read it."

"Has your editor given you any dates for a book tour yet?" Keith asked his son.

"No, not yet." Lucas answered. "But I'm guessing it will be during the spring and/or summer months."

"I am not looking forward to that." Brooke commented with a dramatic pout as she leaned in to kiss her husband on the cheek. "I'm thinking of going on the road with him for a few weeks."

"I would love that." Lucas replied, smiling at his wife.

Dinner continued for the next thirty minutes. Various conversations flowed amongst the family. Lily had been excused from the table and rushed back to her private spot in the family room ten minutes ago. Now, they were all just sitting at the table, either eating dessert or drinking, maybe both, while everyone continued to talk.

"So, Nathan," Dan began, looking at his son, "I found out some rather interesting information the other day."

"Oh, yeah?" Nathan questioned, not entirely interested in this so called _interesting_ information.

"Do you remember Daunte Fox? He is an old friend of mine from college." Dan asked as his son shook his head. "Well, anyway, he's a chief detective with the NYPD now. I asked him to run a background check on that neighbor of yours."

"What?" Nathan asked suddenly, his ears perking up instantly as he stared at his father.

"I ran a backgrou..."

"I heard you!" Nathan shouted, startling everyone else sitting at the table. "Why the hell would you do that?!"

"She's a waitress, Nathan." Dan said simply. "Living in a luxury apartment."

"So what?" Nathan questioned.

"Come on. Don't be naïve, son." Dan quipped. "There is no way a college student could afford that apartment as a waitress."

"What's your point?" Nathan inquired, seething.

"My point is...we had to check her out. Make sure she was on the up and up." Dan explained.

"We?" Nathan asked, glaring pointedly at his mother. "Why am I not surprised by that?"

"Nathan," Deb began calmly, "we tried talking to the girl but she..."

"No, you ambushed her." Karen corrected.

"Karen, you couldn't possibly understand." Deb sighed. "Your daughter-in-law is well-established all on her own. Not to mention, you've known her for years so you actually know her. You don't have to worry about..."

"And there was no cause for your so called worry either." Karen didn't hesitate to argue.

Nathan shook his head, still glaring at his mother. "What did you say to her?" He demanded.

Deb turned towards her son. "Nothing, Nathan. I was only trying to get to know her."

"Somehow I doubt that." He scoffed and then looked at his father. "So, you ran a background check for what exactly? Did you think she was involved in something illegal?" His eyes narrowed. "Like a...I don't know, prostitute or something? Is that it?"

"Don't be absurd. That was your mother's first thought." Dan revealed, chuckling.

"I'm glad you find this funny." Nathan remarked, bemused. "What were you looking for then?"

"Anything really." Dan shrugged, unapologetic for his actions. "I just wanted to make sure we were prepared for anything. You know, one step ahead of our enemies."

"So now Haley is the enemy?" Nathan asked. "You don't even know her."

"Hence the background check." Dan reiterated.

"This is ridiculous!" Nathan exclaimed, slapping his hand on the table which rattled the crystal dishes.

"Calm down, son." Dan advised, rolling his eyes. "If it helps, I didn't find anything like that."

"If it helps?" Nathan replied incredulously.

"Grow up, Nathan." Dan said, glaring at his son. "I didn't do this for no reason. It was legitimate. Besides, you claim that there's nothing going on between you and this girl..."

"Haley." Nathan corrected acidly. "Her name is Haley."

"Fine, Haley." Dan placated. "If there's nothing going on then why are you getting so defensive?"

"Because she's a human being, Dad!" Nathan yelled. "She's a person who has done nothing to warrant such actions from you!"

"I was only looking out for you, son." Dan justified, shaking his head when Nathan rolled his eyes. "Do you wanna know what I found out?"

"No, I don't care."

Dan chose to ignore his son's answer and began to explain anyway. "Your neighbor has a five million dollar trust fund."

Nathan said nothing; his face remained expressionless.

"She inherited the money from a man named Brian Durham, who by the way...passed his own background check."

Nathan shook his head and balled up his fists when his father actually winked at him.

"No worries." Dan grinned widely as he glanced at the rest of his family – most of whom looked just as appalled as his son did. "I ran the checks and now we have some information. We know how a college student can afford such a nice place. And I, for one, feel a little bit better about this, Haley..." He emphasized her name and stared pointedly at his son, "...girl."

"So, now what?" Nathan couldn't help but question. "Are you saying that it would be okay for me to...I don't know, date her now that you know she's worth a few million?"

"Absolutely not." Dan immediately responded. "Let's be serious, Nathan."

"The girl's a waitress, honey." Deb jumped in. "She's not exactly up to your standards."

"You mean, your standards." Nathan corrected, shaking his head. Scoffing, he pushed his chair back, the legs scratching against the hard floor underneath them, as he abruptly stood up. "I'm out of here. I don't want to spend a second longer with either of you." Nathan said, all but stomping out of the dining room and ignoring the calls for him to come back.

**OTHOTHOTH**

Nathan drove, more like sped, down the interstate. He weaved in and out of the other traveling vehicles. He was furious with what had just transpired at his parents' house. He couldn't believe them. He couldn't believe they had the audacity to pry into someone's private life the way they did. It was bad enough that he had to listen to his grandfather's criticism – at least that he was prepared for, but to find out that his father had actually run a background on his neighbor. It was absurd. Nathan doesn't understand his parents way of thinking.

He drove around somewhat aimlessly – too wired to actually go home. Honestly, he wasn't really paying any attention to the direction he was going. He didn't really care. Somehow, though, as the minutes and miles passed him by, he found himself pulling into the parking lot of The Grange.

Nathan climbed out of his SUV and headed straight towards the front door to the bar. Walking inside, he saw that the place was indeed packed tonight. He maneuvered his way through the herds of people, slowly making his way to the bar. When he finally arrived, he was relieved to find one empty stool available and plopped down onto it. Most of the people seemed to be so enthralled in their own conversations to actually notice or even recognize him – something he was thankful for on this Thanksgiving day. He reached for a handful of peanuts and waited. After another five minutes, Nathan finally spotted her.

Haley carried a black tray with empty glasses on it back to the bar, giving one of the bartenders a few new drink orders as well as relaying a couple of food orders to the cook. She smiled at some customers as she waited. Glancing further down the bar, she stilled for a moment when she saw Nathan sitting there. She actually closed and opened her eyes three times to make sure she was indeed seeing him. When she was positive she was, Haley made her way over to him.

"Nathan!" She greeted happily. "What are you doing here?"

Nathan immediately smiled at her. "To see you, of course."

"You're such a charmer." Haley said as he smirked at her. "I thought you were having dinner with your family."

"I was...I did, for a little bit." He said, feeling awkward for discussing this with her considering recent events. "I made it through dinner but...well, let's just say that was enough."

"I've met your parents. I don't blame you." She ribbed, laughing.

"You have no idea." He muttered, shaking his head.

Haley studied his reaction and raised her eyebrows. "Hey, you okay?" She asked, concerned, and stepped closer to him while placing her right hand on his shoulder.

At her gentle touch, Nathan looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." He reassured.

Satisfied with his answer, she smiled at him.

"Haley!"

She followed the voice of who screamed her name, already knowing it was the bartender. He informed her that both the food and the drinks were ready for her waiting customers. Telling Nathan she will be right back, she practically skipped back to the other end of the bar to pick up the black tray once again.

Nathan watched Haley until she disappeared into the crowds of people. He didn't have to wait long – as promised, she was back in less than five minutes.

"So, you wanna drink?" Haley asked him.

"Hmm." He hummed as he thought about what sounded good. He could actually use something strong right now but knew he couldn't as he had to drive home. "I'll just take a beer."

She nodded and moved around to the opposite side of the bar, grabbing a glass bottle out of the refrigerator. She slid the bottle along the counter towards him. As he picked the beer up she noticed his bright pink nails and laughed. "Nathan, what the hell?" She asked, pointing to his nails. "Is there something you wanna tell me?"

Nathan looked down at his nails and blushed, forgetting about them. "Oh, umm...my cousin...you remember Lily?" She nodded and he knew she understood where he was going with this. "Yeah, she wanted...well, begged me to let her paint my nails. So...there you go."

"That's sweet." Haley commented. "Deep down, you're just a big old softy, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "I have my moments."

"You know," she began, running a wet cloth over the bar's surface, "if you were that sweet with the girls you date, you might actually find a relationship worth keeping."

"Who says that's something I want?" He countered, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't." She asked, surprised. He shrugged again. "You never though about having a real relationship with anyone?"

"Not really." He told her honestly. "I kind of had a relationship when I was at Duke."

"Oh, yeah?" She, now intrigued, leaned against the counter. "Tell me about it."

"There's not much to tell really." He said, intent on leaving it at that. But then, she had to give him "the look" and just like earlier with Lily, he knew he was screwed. Laughing, he conceded. "Fine. Her name was Anna. She was on the volleyball team at Duke. I met her at a party during our sophomore year. We dated for three or four months."

"Did you love her?" Haley asked.

Nathan shook her head. "Gosh, no." He said with a slight laugh.

"So, what happened? Why'd you guys break up?" She watched his reaction. His cheeks flushed and he averted any eye contact with her. She grinned. "Oh, this story is gonna be good. Tell me!"

"Anna, she, umm...she wasn't..."

"Oh, just spit it out already!" Haley demanded impatiently as she swatted him with the wet cloth.

Nathan chuckled and held up his hands. "Okay. Anna was...she and I shared one very similar interest." He said vaguely and saw the confusion spread over his neighbor's features. "I like girls."

Haley stared at him, still confused as she tried processing his words – words that she didn't quite understand. _What was he getting at?_ "What does that..." Her question died on her lips as her brain finally caught up. Her eyes widened and she let out a laugh, immediately covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, my God! You mean..."

"Yup." Nathan confirmed, shaking his head. "That's exactly what I mean."

"You turned her!" She exclaimed in disbelief.

"I did not turn her." He quickly denied as he glanced around them. "And please keep your voice down."

Haley kept laughing as he continued.

"She told me she had been that way for as long as she could remember but just never had the courage to admit it. To anyone or to herself." Nathan explained.

"And being with you..." She paused, laughing harder, "...helped her admit it."

"It's not funny, Haley." He argued, not exactly finding the humor in this story.

"Oh, but it is." She disagreed.

"Haley, take this to table nine for me please." One of the bartenders asked, now standing to her left.

"Sure thing." She replied between her laughter.

"You okay?" The guy asked her, his forehead wrinkled as he stared at his coworker.

She nodded. "I'm perfect."

He accepted her answer and walked away.

"I'm just gonna go." Nathan said, standing up. "You're clearly busy."

"Oh, no, you don't." Haley said, moving hastily to come stand in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down. "You, sit. I'm going to deliver these drinks, and then I'll be right back. You're not going anywhere, mister."

Following her commands, Nathan remained seated, waiting for her to return. He took a swig of his beer. He waited for several minutes but he didn't mind. Haley was working – she was probably busy. He thought about just leaving so she could actually concentrate on her job, but for some reason, he didn't want to. Nathan wanted to stay and talk to her. He likes talking to Haley. He enjoys her company. She makes him laugh. She reminds him that there is so much more to him than just being a rich basketball player. Haley is a good friend – Nathan even dared to say one of his best friends.

"Sorry about that." Haley apologized when she returned.

"It's fine. You're here for the tips, right?" He said, understanding. "How much longer do you have?"

She glanced at the clock. "I'm here till one."

"Well, in that case, I'll stick around and drive you home." He offered.

"Nathan, that's like three hours from now." She reminded him. He shrugged. She knew how stubborn he was, and he wasn't going anywhere. "How about another beer and some wings then? On the house."

"You've got yourself a deal, Haley James." Nathan accepted, smiling at her.

Haley returned the smile before setting off to put in his order.

**There you go. Please let me know what you think.**

**I hope to have another chapter for you guys soon. I'm really pushing for this Friday but we'll see. Until then. :)**


	5. Chapter Five

**I'm back with another chapter - sorry I was unable to upload this on Friday.**

**Again, thank you so much for the feedback I received for the last chapter. Shout outs to saderia, thibbs65, jena23, 2naley, NALEYAAF23, naleyhumor, NaleyWriter2, Hdkey, rocklesson86, othfangirl, ScRuPuLoUs, naley12, Laura, NALEY23alwaysforeer, ktlynrose, Teegz, Day Believer, SPNALEY and all the guests for your lovely reviews. Your words always mean so much to me. And as always, thanks for all the story/author alerts I have and continue to receive for this story.**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes. I really didn't do much proofreading with this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill. This story takes place in New York City so I obviously own nothing affiliated with or within the lovely state of New York.**

_December 19, 2012_

Nathan carefully turned into the parking garage, his tires spinning slightly on the icy slush on the road. He was able to control the situation, though, and drove further into the dark garage. His headlights guided him to his designated spot and parked. He grabbed his gym bag from his SUV. Unfortunately, the garage was located across the street from the apartment complex - meaning, he has to go outside in the horrible snowstorm that is taking over Manhattan and most of the eastern coast. Coming to the door, he pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and secured the strap of his bag over his right shoulder before pushing the door open. Nathan immediately rushed outside, fighting the spitting snow and the slippery ice and the bitter cold. It didn't take him long to get across the street which, understandably, wasn't crowded with vehicles. He hastily pushed his way through the revolving doors that led into the complex. Once inside, the warmth hit him. Nathan pulled his hood off his head and wiggled his body, shaking the tagalong snow off of him.

"Good evening, Mr. Scott." The concierge greeted with a tip of his hat. "It's really coming down out there, isn't it?"

"You could say that again." Nathan replied, laughing. "How's it going tonight, Phillip?"

"Slow night." Phillip answered and then sent the tenant a pointed glance. "Most people have the common sense to not go out in this stuff."

"Hey, it was hardly my choice to go out there. Like you, I had a job to do." Nathan defended himself.

"Touché." Phillip smiled. "How did your game go?"

"Won, 100-86." Nathan answered with a smirk. "It was a good game, kind of intense actually."

"Too bad I missed it." The concierge replied, shaking his head. "I did record it, though."

Nathan laughed. "Then, why'd you ask me about it. I just ruined it for you."

"Only the score." Phillip shrugged. "That's just the final part of the game. There are forty-eight whole minutes of watching before we get to that score. And, I'm kind of a spoiler type of person anyway."

"You are one interesting guy, Phillip." Nathan said, chuckling.

"That's what my wife says." Phillip agreed with the young man.

"How long do you have to work tonight?" Nathan asked, his eyes shifting to look outside.

"I'm off at midnight."

"It's supposed to get worse out there." Nathan told him, looking at the concierge once more. "You live in Brooklyn. That isn't that close of a drive, especially in this stuff."

"The manager put me up in an empty apartment until this storm passes actually." Phillip said.

"That's good. Your wife okay with that?"

"She is..." Phillip laughed and added, "...mainly because she's staying here with me. We don't know how long this storm is going to go on. There are several power outages all over the city. My wife, she doesn't work so she doesn't have to worry about getting a job. I do. It makes sense that I stay here, but I don't want to worry about her. I need to make sure she's okay."

"Definitely." Nathan agreed.

"Mr. Morgan understood and didn't hesitate to offer for her to come stay with me as well." Phillip finished.

Nathan nodded, smiling at the concierge before glancing outside and watching the flurry of snow falling and growing heavier and heavier with each passing second. "Well, I'm gonna head upstairs. I need a shower to warm my insides."

"Of course." Phillip said in understanding. "Have a good night, Mr. Scott. Stay warm."

"You, too." Nathan replied as he headed across the lobby.

"Hey, Nathan."

Nathan looked up at the sound of her voice and smiled instantly when he saw Haley standing in front of him. "Have you seen it out there? It's terrible."

"I know. Haley replied. "My evening class was cancelled."

"I'm glad my game was home tonight. There was no way we would have been able to come back. All the outgoing flights are cancelled, and any inbound flights have been diverted to another airport."

"Seriously?" She asked, surprised.

He nodded. "Yup."

"That's crazy!" She exclaimed. "Well, hopefully it clears up by Monday."

"Is that when you're flying home?" He asked her.

"Yeah."

"What time do you have to be at the airport?"

"10:00 am." Haley answered.

"I have practice." Nathan informed her. "You wanna ride to the airport?"

"Yeah, that'd be great." She replied, smiling at his generosity. "Saves me money on a cab."

"Well, you could always pay me." He suggested, smirking.

"Okay, Mr. Millionaire, I'll pay you." She laughed, shaking her head.

Nathan stared at his neighbor and thought back to his father revelation at her words. He couldn't help but be curious about this trust fund of hers. He wonders how she got it and why, as well as who is this Brian Durham guy to her. He doesn't actually care about her having money - honestly, he just wants to know more about her. As she began to sift through her mail, Nathan gazed over her form. She looked so comfortable, wearing a gray sweatshirt and black, cotton shorts and a pair of chestnut-colored uggs with her hair up in a messy bun - the classic Haley James look. Only Haley could make that whole "going to bed" look adorable. He wondered why she was down here in the lobby as opposed to upstairs in her apartment. Surely, she isn't going out in this stuff, especially dressed like that. He was just about to ask her when he noticed the mail in her hands. Relief washed over him at knowing she was staying in tonight. Nathan's eyes moved to her chest where he zoned in on his basketball team's name and logo.

"Nice sweatshirt." He complimented, pointing to the garment.

Haley glanced down at her sweatshirt briefly and then smirked at him, shrugging. "It's my way of supporting the home team. Go Knicks!"

"I like it." He said, smirking himself. "And, in this supporting attitude of yours, did you watch the game?"

"I did, in fact." She answered.

"Really?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows. "You, the most athletically challenged, uncoordinated and uninterested in sports person I know, actually sat down and willingly watched a basketball game."

"Yes, I did. She assured, scoffing at his sarcasm. He stared at her, his disbelief clearly still intact. "I did watch it, Nathan."

"Okay." He said as he simply headed for the elevator. "If you say so."

Haley glared at him and followed quickly behind him. "You can be a real jerk sometimes." She huffed, stepping in front of him to push the UP button for the elevator.

The neighbors stood in silence as they waited for the elevator to come. It didn't take long before it did; the doors opened and they stepped inside.

"So, you're not talking to me now?" Nathan questioned, breaking the silence, once the doors closed.

"Nope." She confirmed. He laughed and she whipped around to face him. "I watched the game, you know."

"Okay." He responded simply, again, watching the buttons as they lit up while passing each floor.

"_Okay_?" She repeated incredulously. "That's all you have to say?"

"What else should I say?"

"How about you're sorry?"

"Why?" Nathan inquired curiously, looking at her. "You're the one who's overreacting."

Haley narrowed her eyes. "You're the one who doesn't believe me." She argued. He laughed. "Don't laugh at me, Nathan."

"Hales," he began, turning to face her, "why are you taking this so seriously? I was really just messing with you. If you say you watched the game then you watched the game. I just know that you don't really care for basketball so...okay, sure, I didn't really believe you." He admitted, pausing for a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry but it's no reason to get so upset."

Haley stared at him, not knowing what to say as she knew he was right - she was overreacting. The elevator stopped on their floor. The doors opened and Nathan stepped out and headed straight to his apartment, fishing for the keys in his pocket. She watched him until the doors began to shut which snapped her out of her daze. Haley used her mail-filled hands to stop the doors from closing and jumped out of the elevator.

"Wait!" She called out to him.

Nathan unlocked his door and pushed it open before turning to face her, not saying anything.

"Look, I, umm...you were..." She stammered.

"Yes, Haley James?" He smirked.

"You're loving this, aren't you?" She asked, glaring at him.

He nodded. "I am, yes. Please continue."

Haley wanted so badly to smack that stupid smirk of his right off his face. He was so damn cocky sometimes...but unfortunately, knew this was on her so begrudgingly she said, "You were right. I overreacted. I'm sorry."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Nathan responded, grinning.

"It was actually." She disagreed, rolling her eyes when he laughed. "I just...I spoke to my mom right before I went down to get my mail."

"And everything makes sense." He said, turning to drop his gym bag on the floor inside his apartment before facing his neighbor once again. "Same old, same old?"

She nodded and sighed. "What else is there for us to talk about? Aside from the wedding, of course." She said rhetorically. "You know, I have been juggling two ideas in my mind. One, I never get married and never had kids just to stick it to my mother. Or two, I marry some random, meaningless stranger just to shut her up."

Nathan laughed before saying, "you can't let her get to you, Haley."

"It's easy for you to say." Haley quipped before narrowing her eyes at him. "And like you have any room to talk with your parents."

"Fair point."

"Yeah."

The two looked at one another and laughed.

"Have you eaten?" Haley asked then and he shook his head. "How about you come over for dinner? Consider it an extension of my apology."

"Sure." Nathan smiled. "That sounds better than the cold, leftover pizza I was planning to eat. I'm gonna go take a shower first, though."

"Please do." She teased him. "The door will be unlocked so just come on in when you're done. That shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"

He smirked and sent her a wink before walking into his apartment.

Nathan, after pulling a white t-shirt, black sweatpants, a pair of black boxers, and some white socks from his dresser, strolled into the bathroom. He twisted the shower handle on and undressed while waiting for the water to turn hot. He adjusted the water temperature so it wasn't scorching hot before stepping into the glass cubicle. His body was still slightly chilled from those brief moments when he was outside and the hot water felt incredibly amazing as it cascaded down his body. He took his time as he shampooed his hair and washed every inch of his body. After a relaxing fifteen minute shower, he shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, using a nearby hanging towel to dry himself off before getting dressed. Nathan went back into his bedroom and grabbed an old Duke University sweatshirt from the closet and tugged it on.

As soon as Nathan opened the door to his apartment, the mouth-watering aroma from whatever his neighbor was cooking wafted past his nostrils. He was starving and that scent only caused his desire to eat to increase greatly. His feet carried him across the hall and to her place. The door was indeed unlocked like she said - not surprising as she often left it unlocked; her disregard for her safety irritated him to no end at times. This was Manhattan and she was a young, attractive woman who lived alone - anything could happen. Ridding his mind of those disturbing thoughts, Nathan opened the door and walked into her apartment.

That smell grew even more intoxicating now that he was inside.

"Smells good." He commented, arriving in the kitchen where he found her standing. He moved so he was standing behind her and could peer over her shoulder. "What are you making?"

"Chicken parmesan – just adding more cheese to it."

"Mmm." He moaned, closing his eyes. "You know how long it's been since I've had a home-cooked meal?"

"Thanksgiving, I'm guessing."

"You guessed right." He confirmed. "I think you should cook for me every night."

Haley turned around to face him. "That can be negotiated." She told him with a sweet smile.

Eyebrows raising, Nathan grinned and asked, "what's the negotiating consist of?"

"Well," she began slowly, "it's not really negotiating per say. It's more of me giving you a flat rate per night."

"Oh, is that right?"

"That's right."

"Okay." He said, nodding. "Give me the magic number."

"Five thousand per night."

Nathan nearly choked on his own spit. "What? That's absurd, Haley." He proclaimed. "I'm not paying you five thousand dollars a night to cook me dinner."

"Okay." Haley shrugged. "No deal then."

"Hey, we're negotiating here." He argued.

"Oh, no no no." She quickly denied. "I said no negotiating. Those are my terms and that's that."

He watched as she turned back around to focus on her cooking. After a minute, he said, "okay."

Haley whipped around at his words. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Okay." Nathan repeated, both his tone and facial expression completely serious. "You've got yourself a deal. Five thousand dollars a night."

Her mouth opened wide in disbelief. Is he serious? She froze, staring at him like he had lost his damn mind. Clearly, he has. She knew how absurd five thousand dollars was - that's why she said it, to joke around with him. Of course, he can afford it. 1.35 million dollars a year probably means nothing to him - it'd hardly make a dent in his bank account. Just as she was about to say something, she saw the look on his face change to one of amusement.

"You're playing me, aren't you?" Haley asked.

Nathan grinned and nodded. "Absolutely."

"I reiterate my earlier comment. Jerk - you're a jerk." She said, shoving him as they both laughed. "Come on. Dinner is served."

The two of them moved to the living room and ate the food while drinking some wine. They talked about their days mostly - Nathan talked animatedly about his basketball game while Haley talked about her relaxing day of staying home and cleaning. Once their dinner was finished, they took their dirty dishes back into the kitchen. As Nathan used the bathroom, Haley washed the dishes and set to work on putting away the leftover food. Finished in the bathroom, Nathan came back out in the living room and walked over to where Haley had set up a decorated Christmas tree in front of the window.

"Nice tree - very...colorful. " He complimented.

"Thanks." Haley smiled, drying her hands before strolling into the living room. "What about you? Did you set up a tree?"

Nathan shook his head. "No. No real point to."

"Why?" She asked, confused.

"I'm out of town for half the month. And when I am home, I don't wanna waste whatever downtime I have on decorating a tree. I'd rather eat, sleep, and shower." He explained.

"But it's Christmas, Nathan." She said, her eyes twinkling. "It's like...a sin to not have a tree."

"Well, I don't get all sappy over this holiday, Hales. Not like you do." He teased.

Haley playfully shoved him as they laugh. "Shut up."

"Am I wrong?" Nathan challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't help it. I love Christmas!" She exclaimed. "Everything about it - the lights, the music, giving gifts..."

"Receiving gifts?"

"Yes, I love receiving gifts as well." Haley admitted as he laughed. "Who doesn't?"

"Good point." He agreed and then asked, "What about the snow? Do you love that?"

"Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't." She replied, shrugging. "Times like tonight - no, I do not. But when you're sitting in the warmth with a cup of hot chocolate and staring out the window, watching the snow fall - yes, I do. It's beautiful."

Nathan smiled at the look of pure happiness on Haley's face. She has such a gentle innocence about her. She still, deep down inside, holds tightly to her inner child, and she isn't ashamed of those times when she lets it out. He loves and admires that about her. And, at the same time, he envies it. Haley is so free with her feelings most of the time. He is hardly the closed off type but he still keeps a lot of his emotions inside. There are so few people who he feels he can truly be himself around. Growing up the way he did and with the parents he has, Nathan has learned to really repress many of his feelings.

"Oh, and speaking of gifts!" She exclaimed blurted out, turning swiftly and skipping over to the tree. She bent down and pulled a wrapped present out from underneath it before heading back towards her neighbor. She handed him the present. "Here. Merry Christmas, Nathan."

"What is it?"

She rolled her eyes. "You have to open it, superstar."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at her use of that nickname he hates so much. He laughed when she did and nodded, tearing through the wrapping paper. "Oh my gosh!" He cried, laughing even harder when he was able to see what the present was. He looked up at Haley who had begun to laugh, almost hysterically, too. The gift was one of those bobble head dolls, but it was an action figure of himself. "I can't believe you did this! I didn't even know there was one of these things of me."

"I know. Isn't it awesome?!" Haley declared. "I was walking the other day and went past a sports store. There, in the display window, was this thing. I knew right then and there that it'd be the perfect gift for you."

"This is awesome. Thank you, Haley." Nathan said, sharing a smile with her. "Well, now it's your turn to wait. I'll be right back."

Haley waited with anticipation as Nathan left her place and headed, presumably, to his own apartment. He was gone for only a couple of minutes before she heard her door open and shut, and then he was strolling back into the living room. Holding a gift bag, he held it out to her, and Haley accepted it immediately with a smile.

"I don't wrap." He said in defense of his gift bag.

She shrugged. "I like gift bags."

"Well, anyway...Merry Christmas, Hales."

Smiling wider, Haley pulled out the tissue paper and reached inside the bag. She felt a round, cylinder type of object with a small dip at the top. Her eyes squinted with intrigue. Wrapping her hand around the object, she pulled it out - whipped strawberry icing from Betty Crocker, her favorite. Haley immediately started laughing at his present for her.

"That is your favorite, isn't it?" Nathan grinned. "I remember watching you eat an entire one of those things by yourself in one sitting once."

Haley blushed but nodded. "Yes, I did."

Just then, the lights went out.  
>Pitch black filled the apartment.<p>

Haley groaned.

"Well," Nathan began, "this sucks."

"Gosh, I hope this doesn't last long." She said and then sighed. "I guess it's time for the candles - if I can find my way around this place without crashing into something."

Nathan felt her hand land on his chest as she stepped forward, invading his personal space but not in an irritating kind of way. He lifted his hands and layered them over hers before clasping their hands together. He allowed her to take the lead, laughing when she did in fact run into an end table and cursed out loud in pain. They continued their darkened journey and found themselves in the kitchen. Nathan waited near the refrigerator as Haley glimpsed through the drawers in pursuit of either a lighter or matches_. A lighter._ She lit the one candle on the stovetop as well as the two in the center of the island. He listened when she told him to wait there while she carefully made her way into the living room where she lit six more candles. Nathan watched as she disappeared from his already limited sight, only to return minutes later with more candles.

With more than a dozen candles lit, the two of them could see each other, as well as their way around, more clearly.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Haley asked, her voice much more cheery than before.

"No. What?" Nathan inquired, curious.

Haley skipped towards the refrigerator, thrusting open the freezer door while glancing at her neighbor with a smile. "The fabulous city of New York has just given me an excuse to eat this."

Through the candlelight, Nathan saw that she had pulled a carton of Edy's Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream out from the freezer. She tugged open a drawer and reached inside for two spoons before carrying them and the ice cream over to the island where he was now standing. She tore off the lid and jabbed one of the spoons into the ice cream. Nathan smiled as she took that first bite and closed her eyes while savoring its delectable taste.

"You're seriously gonna eat that entire carton of ice cream?" He asked her.

"You bet your sweet ass I am." She smirked, scooping out another spoonful. "Hey, I paid a pretty penny for this. I'm not about to let my money or my favorite ice cream go to waste."

"Well, it's not like you can't afford to go buy some more." He teased, laughing. At her quizzical look, he realized what he had actually said and closed his eyes, silently reprimanding himself.

"What do you mean by that?"

Nathan shook his head. "Nothing."

"Clearly you meant something." Haley countered, staring imploringly at him as she ate another bite of ice cream. She asked him again what he meant. He said nothing. "Come on, Nathan, just tell me."

"I honestly didn't mean it in a bad way, Haley." He reassured. Her eyebrows raised, and he sighed. "I was only teasing. Just...remember that, okay?"

"Okay." She responded, even more confused.

Nathan hesitated for a couple of seconds before finally telling her. "My dad, he...well, on Thanksgiving, he told me that he had a background check run on you."

"What?" Haley asked, not quite sure she had heard him right. "A background check?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Wow." She muttered, still processing his revelation. "I guess...I can't say I'm all that surprised. I mean, I am. I definitely wasn't expecting that, but...well, that's..."

"Ridiculous." He finished, supplying the adjective for her as she nodded. "My dad was 'protecting me'."

"Protecting you?" She repeated, wrinkling her forehead. "From what, me?" He nodded. She couldn't help it, she laughed. "That's...interested. Though, I shouldn't be surprised by this really. Your parents made it clear how they felt about me so...all of this sounds about right."

"What did they say to you at my game?"

"Nathan, it doesn't..."

"It does matter, Haley." Nathan argued. "I'm sure I can guess but...I want to know what they actually said. Please tell me, Hales."

"Your mom, she wanted to know how I could afford this apartment on a waitress's salary. Your dad then basically accused me of being a gold digger." Haley began to explain, sighing heavily. "They were worried I was trying to take advantage of you. I guess, as parents...I can kind of understand..."

"No!" He hastily interrupted her. "Don't even try to find the understanding in this, Haley. My parents, they had no right to say those things to you. And, they sure as hell had no right to invade your personal life by running a background check on you. It's so typical of them. Besides, this wasn't about protecting me, Hales. This was about...them keeping up with their appearances, and...in their opinions, you don't fit into their standards because you're just a waitress from a middle-class family." He paused a moment before looking at her so earnestly. "I'm sorry, Haley. My parents...they suck."

She smiled at that and shook her head as she picked up the second spoon and handed it to him. "You don't have to apologize for them. It's fine, really. It's not like I have anything to hide. I don't have some mystery double life or something." She said, laughing.

Despite how angry he still was at his parents, he laughed, too. He was amazed by Haley honestly. She is such a good person and friend. First, she omitted the whole truth from him to, he's accurately guessing, avoid putting a strain on his relationship with his parents. She found out what his dad did and even tried to justify their actions because they're only "parents protecting their son". And the fact that she can so easily laugh everything off, even crack jokes about it. She, in general, is an optimistic person. He loves that about her.

"Eat some ice cream, buddy." Haley ordered, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I will not feel guilty if I eat it all and leave you with nothing."

Nathan laughed while scooping up a spoonful of the mint chocolate chip.

They ate in a comfortable silence for a minute or two.

"I guess..." Haley spoke softly, "based on your earlier comment, your dad told you about my trust fund?"

"Haley, I'm sorry about what I said." Nathan immediately apologized, guilt invading him. "I didn't mean it..."

"It's fine, Nathan. I know you were only joking around." She reassured him with a smile. "So, you want all the _sordid_ details?"

"Haley, I'm not my father. Or my mother. I don't care about any of that. It doesn't change my mind about you. You're my friend and I care about you - no matter what."

"But, do you want to know?"

"Only if you wanna tell me." He replied honestly.

"I do." She admitted.

Haley left her spoon in the ice cream and pushed herself away from the island. Their eyes had adjusted more to the darkness, and she maneuvered her body towards the living room with more ease than before. Haley reached for a framed photography on one of the shelves before returning to the kitchen.

"Here." She said, handing the frame to her neighbor. "This is Brian Durham."

Nathan studied the photograph of Haley standing with an older man. They were cuddled together and smiling broadly; they were clearly very close. He has seen the picture before but never asked about it - Nathan always just assumed it was her grandfather. "Is this your grandpa?"

"No and yes." She answered with a laugh. "Not biologically at least, but in every other way, he is."

"You got the trust fund from him, right?" He questioned, handing the frame back to her.

She nodded, setting the photograph down on the island's surface. "From him and his wife." She stated while looking back up at him. "Camilla, that's his wife's name. She died about thirty-nine years ago."

Nathan could see the tears in her eyes.

"I never met her. Obviously." Haley continued. "She was beautiful, though. And Whitey, he really loved her."

"Whitey?"

"Yeah, it's a nickname for Brian." She giggled. "It feels weird to call him by his real name. I never do - nobody in Tree Hill does actually."

Interested, he asked, "So, how did that nickname come about?"

"You know, I'm not entirely sure." She answered, smiling. "He was the varsity basketball coach at the high school for forty-three years."

"Basketball, huh?" He smirked as she nodded. "He seems like a good guy to me then."

"He is - a very good man." She confirmed. "His first year of coaching, his players gave him that nickname and it stuck around, I guess." After a pause, she shook her head. "Anyway, umm...my trust fund is...kind of a combination of things. When Camilla died, she had a million dollar life insurance policy so that went to Whitey. Both her parents died when she was really young so she had some money from their deaths. Whitey, his parents passed away in a car accident fifteen years ago. He's an only child so he inherited everything. And, it was a bunch of money he and Camilla had saved over the years."

Nathan nodded and continued to listen to her.

"I didn't even know about the trust fund." Haley said, letting out a small laugh. "Last year, when I turned twenty-one, it was made available to me. To say I was surprised is an understatement. I didn't want it. I felt...guilty even. I mean, this wasn't my money. I didn't earn it so why did I get to keep it?"

He smiled - how his parents could ever accuse her of being a gold digger, he would never ever be able to comprehend.

"Whitey insisted I take it, though. He said he wanted me to have it, wanted to make sure I was taken care of." She said, grinning. "Whitey is a persistent man and...I was powerless to refuse. So, I signed the papers to accept it. Sometimes, I still feel guilty for spending the money. I usually only spend it on the necessities, though."

"Is that why you still work at The Grange?" Nathan asked.

"Partly. I also really enjoy working there." Haley answered, eating some ice cream, and then she shrugged. "Besides, it's only part-time."

"You shouldn't feel guilty - Whitey clearly wanted you to have it and spend it. Even on miscellaneous things."

She smiled at him and glanced back up. "So that's...the story behind my trust fund."

He smiled. "Thanks for telling me."

"Thanks for listening. And, for not..."

"What?" He prodded when she hesitated.

"I don't know." She told him honestly. "I guess, I'm just...glad you wanted to know about it without…assuming the worst."

"I would never…" He paused, trying to find the right words. "It's you, Haley. You could never be what my parents accused you of."

She blushed.

"Can I ask you something?" Nathan asked.

"Sure." Haley replied. "I have nothing to hide."

He gestured to the gold band that was on her right pinky finger - the one she always wore. "What's with the ring? I've always wondered about it."

She glanced down at her ring and brushed her fingers gently over it, smiling sadly. "It was Camilla's wedding band." She explained, staring up at him again. "Whitey gave it to me before I left for college - it was a graduation present. It only fits on my pinky finger. Whitey told me his wife had freakishly small fingers. Or maybe my fingers are just fat."

"Well, let's examine them for ourselves, shall we?" Nathan grinned, taking her hands into his own. "Nope - slender and...perfect."

Haley blushed as they smiled at one another.

Their conversation ended at that as they continued to eat the melting ice cream.

"Oh my gosh!"

Nathan jumped, startled, at Haley's random outburst. "What?" He asked, panicked slightly.

"We just ate this entire carton of ice cream!" Haley exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the empty container.

"_We_?" He replied incredulously. "I had like three spoonfuls, Haley."

"Shh." She whispered and he looked at her confused. "Nobody else needs to know that."

"There's nobody else here." He whispered back as they laughed. His eyes gazed over her petite form. "How do you stay so thin?"

"I run." She shrugged. He snorted with laughter. "What's so funny?"

"You don't run." He argued simply.

"Why do you say that?" She questioned, confused.

"There's a workout room in this building, and I have never seen you inside it. Not once." Nathan explained.

"Just because you've never seen me in there doesn't mean I've never been in there. Besides, you're on the road for half the year so there's that." Haley pointed out. "But I mainly run on my treadmill."

"You have a treadmill?"

"Yeah. In my bedroom."

"Oh, I have to see that." He declared, moving to leave the kitchen.

She followed after him, curious. "Why?"

"For proof." He told her as he looked over his shoulder back at her briefly with a smirk before continuing on through the hallway.

Haley rolled her eyes as they walked into her bedroom. "There - is that all the proof you need." She asked sarcastically, pointing to the piece of exercise equipment.

"How did I not know you have a treadmill?" Nathan asked rhetorically.

"It's not like you've ever been in here before." She reminded him.

"That's true." He nodded. "Oddly enough."

Nathan took the opportunity to snoop around her bedroom, as well as he could in the dark. His candle didn't provide much light. Her room was simple - not too girly but still feminine. There was a full bed with a brown, blue, green and cream-colored bedspread, and two cherry wood nightstands sat on each side of the bed - a lamp, alarm clock, and two books with reading glasses sitting on them were on their surfaces. A dresser, similar to the nightstands, was up against one of the walls - more items resting on that surface. And, of course, the treadmill. Her room smelled nice - flowery mixed with sweet. Nathan looked at the bed again and saw the outline of a guitar sitting on top of the comforter.

"You play?" He asked, strolling over to the bed.

Haley shrugged. "A little."

"What can you play?"

"Oh, well...mostly, I just...dabble around."

"Dabble around?" He repeated, staring curiously at her. "You write your own stuff?"

"Sometimes, yeah." She admitted.

He picked up the guitar and handed it to her. "Play me something."

"What?" She replied nervously as she shook her head rapidly. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because...because..." She stammered, tucking a strand of fallen hair out of her face. "Because I can't."

Nathan smiled at her embarrassment. Even in the dark, he could see the blush that was forming on her cheeks and creeping down to her neck. He never knew she could play, or sing for that matter. There were still so many things he didn't know about her - something he wanted desperately to change. Inching closer to her, Nathan reached for her left hand and placed the nut of the guitar into it.

"Play me something, Hales." He pleaded, his voice slightly husky. "Please."

Haley felt her insides heat up at, not only the huskiness in his voice, but the way he was looking at her. Her stomach fluttered as she stared into his piercing blue eyes. Not even realizing it, she nodded while taking the guitar fully into her hands. She watched as he sat down on the edge of the bed. Her bed. Again, there was something so _erotic_ about the fact that he was sitting on the very place she slept every night. Before she knew it, her feet carried her to the bed where she sat down - her legs crossed and her back resting against the headboard. Haley smiled softly at him and closed her eyes for a second to find some courage before moving her fingers over the strings.

_So you set out to find the sky, like a rocket ship  
>And from on this ground you looked so fine<br>You insisted you weren't drifting  
>That someday you'll be back to take me with you<br>But now you've better things to do_

_And I don't wanna stand here and beg you to fall  
>'Cause one day you'll see I was worth it all<br>And down on my knees ain't where I need to be  
>I'm gone, ain't gonna beg you to fall<em>

_Oh, maybe one day you'll arrive  
>Like you never left<br>And find that while you were learning to fly  
>Well you taught me the best<br>Damn lesson  
>I will never waste a second of talking you into loving me<br>My breath is far too precious_

_And I don't wanna stand here and beg you to fall  
>'Cause one day you'll see I was worth it all<br>And down on my knees ain't where I need to be  
>I'm gone, ain't gonna beg you to fall...<em>

_For me if your heart's not in it  
>But could you make sure you break me gently<br>'Cause you're everything I've been living for  
>Well not anymore<em>

_And I don't wanna stand here and beg you to fall  
>'Cause one day you'll see that I'm worth it<em>

_And I don't wanna stand here and beg you to fall  
>'Cause one day you'll see I was worth it all<br>And down on my knees ain't where I need to be  
>I'm gone, ain't gonna beg you to fall<em>

_Don't wanna beg you to fall_

Haley finished the song, biting her lower lip through a soft smile.

"Wow, that was...beautiful." Nathan complimented.

His voice was barely audible but Haley still heard him. His words made her blush once more, and she glanced from his penetrating gaze. Haley whispered an equally quiet "thank you" to him.

'So," he began, clearing his throat, "who's the guy?"

"Huh?" She asked, looking at him again.

"The guy you wrote that song about?" He clarified, smirking when she was clearly surprised by his intuition.

"Oh, umm...just this guy I dated in high school." Haley explained vaguely. The look on his face, though, had her revealing even more. "We dated for two years. He was...I loved him so much. I thought...he was the one, you know. But, he didn't."

"I'm sorry." Nathan apologized. "The guy's an idiot.

"He is, isn't he?" She agreed as they shared a smile with one another.

**There you guys go – chapter five! Please let me know what you think!**

**I hope to have another chapter for you soon! Until then. **


	6. Chapter Six

**Yes, I am back with another chapter for you guys.**

**Not that I haven't done this before in this story or any of my others, but I stole a line straight out of the show. I just always found the line funny for some reason and have desperately wanted to use it at some point. I did change one word, though – better to nicer. It's a Nikki line from season 1. :)**

**As always, I need to give a shout out to naleyhumor, jena23, saderia, Day Believer, amkjo001, Laura, ktlynrose, SPNALEY, NALEY23alwaysforever, othfangirl, NALEYAAF23, rocklesson86, thibbs65, ScRuPuLoUs, 2naley, and all the guest for your amazing reviews. All of you, your lovely words always inspire me, and I love you all! Thank you! Also, thank you to all the story/author alerts I have received and continue to receive for this story.**

**I forgot to credit my song choice in the previous chapter. The song was **_**Beg You To Fall**_** by Kate Voegele.**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with **_**One Tree Hill**_**. I also have no affiliation with the bar or the cafe I referenced in this chapter – The Grange and Café Manhattan are located in New York.**

_December 31, 2012_

Looking in the mirror, Haley evaluated her chosen outfit: a cream-colored, with light blue speckles, long-sleeve sweater with a scoop neckline and dark, skinny jeans as well as brown, knee-high boots. She had curled her hair in tight tendrils and pulled back two small chunks that were framing her face with a couple of bobby pins. Her makeup was light and natural-looking. She could admit that she looked pretty good. Haley had to look good today - she was going out with her older sister. Quinn was gorgeous - supermodel gorgeous who had the perfect body as an added bonus. Having grown up with the girl, Haley was used to being compared to the stunning beauty her sister possessed. Normally, it didn't bother her - and it didn't today necessarily either. But, for some reason, Haley just had that urge and desire to put extra effort into her appearance today.

A few days ago, when Haley had gone home to North Carolina for Christmas, Quinn had asked her baby sister if she could come up to New York and spend New Year's Eve weekend with her. She claimed she needed a break from all the wedding planning and most importantly, their mother; she was due to have some major fun. Haley had immediately accepted, thrilled to have a couple of extra days with her sister.

A loud, repetitive knocking sounded at her door.

Haley smiled brightly and rushed out of her bedroom, through the hall, and across the living room to swing open the door. "Quinn!" She screeched, propelling forward to embrace her sister.

Quinn smiled, returning the hug tightly. "Hey, Haley Bob!"

"How was the drive?" Haley asked, pulling back so she was face to face with the other girl.

"Not bad at all." Quinn answered. "Very relaxing even - listened to music while singing off-key, ignored incessant phone calls from mom..."

"We are so related." Haley stated.

The girls laughed.

"Come on." She invited inside, waving her hand rapidly a few times. "Let's take your bags to the guest bedroom and get you settled in."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Quinn readily agreed, following her sister into the apartment.

Arriving in the guest bedroom, Haley looked at her sister. "So, what do you wanna do? Rest for a little bit? After your drive, you..."

"Oh, no." Quinn quickly shot down that idea. "I am well-rested. It's ten till twelve. Let's grab some lunch."

"Yes." Haley didn't hesitate to accept the suggestion. "I know the perfect place. It's not far from here."

"Lead the way." Quinn urged, grabbing her purse.

After a short stroll along the streets of New York City, Haley led Quinn into Cafe Manhattan. Choosing a table in front of a window, the two sisters shed out of their jackets, dangling them on the backs of their chairs, and sat down.

"I love this place!" Haley raved. "The food...oh my gosh, it's delicious!"

"Good. I'm starving." Quinn declared as she opened her menu and perused through the items listed. "So, what do you recommend?"

"Everything." Haley answered instantly.

Quinn laughed and then said jokingly, "Everything it is."

"I'm going to go with a patty melt and cheese fries." Haley said.

"Oh, God!" Quinn moaned, closing her eyes. "That sounds so good!"

"Get it then."

"I can't." She sighed. "I am on a strict diet for the next 223 days so...it looks like the Cajun salad for me."

"For what it's worth, that salad is pretty damn good." Haley reassured her sister.

Quinn smiled. "Thank you for that, Hales."

Their waitress arrived at that very moment and after jotting down an herbal tea for Quinn and a lemonade for Haley, she was, surprised to hear that the two girls already knew what they wanted to eat as well. She added the two meals to their orders and left the table, promising to be back soon with their drinks in which she did.

"Did you get the email I sent?" Quinn asked her sister, taking a sip of her herbal tea. "The one with the picture of the bridesmaid dresses I've picked out."

"Yeah." Haley nodded. "They're beautiful, Quinn. They look like they'll be flattering for everyone."

Quinn sighed. "Tell that to our sister-in-law."

"Which one?"

"Kenzie."

"What is Kenzie complaining about now?" Haley asked.

"As you know, she's pregnant." Quinn began as her sister nodded. "Well, she's due two weeks before the wedding so she'll either be way overdue or will have just had the baby."

"Yeah, so?"

"So...Kenzie is worried about being and looking fat in her dress. Even if she has the baby before, she will most likely still have some of the baby weight." Quinn explained, laughing at that mental image before shaking her head. "Anyway, Kenzie asked me if she can just skip out on being a part of the wedding party."

"That actually sounds like a good idea." Haley replied. "Either situation, she's going to be exhausted - physically, mentally. She's gonna be sore..."

"Exactly." Quinn agreed instantly. "Personally, I would be more than happy with that. Not because I don't like Kenzie, of course."

"Of course." Haley teased, smirking when her sister glared playfully at her.

"As I was saying...with Kenzie, I have nine bridesmaids, Haley. Nine." Quinn complained emphatically. "David has two sisters. I have three. They all have to be in the wedding. I also have Alex from high school and Lauren from college. That's seven girls already - I'm okay with that, though, because I want all of you guys to stand up there for me. But our mother is making me have all of our sisters-in-law as well."

Their conversation was put on pause when their waitress came back with their meals. She told them to enjoy, smiling a friendly smile, before leaving them to eat.

"Just tell her no, Quinn. It's your wedding." Haley pointed out, grabbing a couple of her cheese fries off her plate and tossed them into her mouth.

"Come on, Hales." Quinn rolled her eyes. "Don't you think I've tried? You know how hard it is to say no to that...that..."

"Our mother." Haley provided, raising an eyebrow.

"Not the word I had in mind at this very moment." Quinn mumbled.

Haley laughed, watching as her sister picked up a fork and jabbed it into the lettuce of her salad.

"And the massive bridesmaid amount isn't even the biggest dilemma I'm facing right now." Quinn stated as she inserted the fork into her mouth.

"Oh, no." Haley muttered. "I'm afraid to ask but what else is going on?"

"I have four nephews and three nieces, David has one of each. We have no idea who to have as the ring bearer or the flower girl. We certainly can't have all nine of them." Quinn let out a deep breath of exasperation, dropping the fork on her plate and creating a loud _ding_ while placing her elbows on the table surface and burying her face in her palms. "God! What am I gonna do?"

"First of all, you're going to stop your bitching and moaning and look at me." Haley ordered and waited for her sister to do so, which Quinn reluctantly did with a dramatic pout. "You came here to forget about the wedding for a little while and to have fun. Is this conversation fun - no, it's not. So, we are done talking about it."

"But..."

"No, Quinn." She quickly interrupted, shaking her head. "We can talk about this in a day, maybe two but today...today, we're gonna have that fun you desperately need. Okay?"

"Okay." Quinn relented and after a few seconds, smiled at her baby sister. "And this is why I came to you and not our other sisters - you know exactly what to do and say to make me feel better."

"Well, I do have certain charms." Haley said with a sweet smile. "Preventing my sister from having a meltdown - is one of them."

They both laughed.

Over the next twenty minutes, the girls finished eating their meals while talking about topics that refrained from any kind of wedding talk. Quinn told her sister about a new photography assignment she accepted - it's on location in Miami. It was something she was really interested in, and thankfully, it was only for a week so it was completely doable. Haley, on the other hand, griped about school - her stress over studying for exams and the lengthy reports she's been biting her nails and practically pulling her hair out over.

Haley chose that moment then to pick up her menu and open it again. "Hmm...what are we getting for dessert?"

"Haley!" Quinn exclaimed. "You are the worst maid of honor ever!"

Haley's eyes widened in surprise. "I...I'm your maid of honor?"

"Did I not ask you?" Quinn asked, looking just as surprised. Her sister shook her head. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry, Bob!" Reaching across the table, Quinn grabbed her sister's hand. "Haley James, my beautiful baby sister who I love dearly, will you please do me the honor of being my maid of honor?"

"Of course!" Haley answered ecstatically.

The two girls, while tearing up, stood abruptly from their chairs and walked around the table to embrace one another in a tight hug. They were in their own little world - deliriously happy without a single care of whether or not the other diners might be staring at them and wondering about their emotional embrace.

"Thank you." Quinn said. "I love you, little sis."

"I love you, too, Quinny." Haley replied.

Squeezing one another one last time for emphasis, they separated and walked back to their own chairs, plopping down in them.

"Now about that dessert." Haley began, grinning mischievously while ignoring her sister's groan. "We are both going to get The Manhattan "Works". Listen to this - a super-moist fudge brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, covered in hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry." Glancing up at her sister, Haley challenged, "You can't tell me that doesn't sound amazing, because I know you'd be lying."

"Of course it sounds amazing!" Quinn didn't hesitate to admit but then added, "I can't eat it, though. I have a tailor-made wedding dress to fit into."

"And I have a treadmill at home." Haley countered.

"Hales..."

"Quinn, again, you're the one who wanted a stress-free weekend with no wedding worries." Haley reminded her sister who rolled her eyes. "You're getting the damn dessert and you're going to enjoy every single bite of it. Even if I have to shove it down your throat. That is final - your MOH has spoken."

Quinn laughed at her sister's words and had no choice but to nod, succumbing to Haley's demands.

Their waitress came back over to them and asked how the food was, to which they both responded "fantastic" before informing her they would be ordering dessert as well. More than pleased, she scribbled down the two The Manhattan "Works" before clearing the now dirty plates from the table. She then left them.

The girls continued gabbing while eating the desserts their waitress brought them. Quinn was definitely glad that her sister forced her to order it - the thing was incredibly delectable, the most captivating sweet she has allowed herself to have in a long time. Haley, having had it before, simply reveled in enjoying it once again, savoring every single bit of it.

"Do you realize this is the first time, in two years, that we've hung out with one another in person aside from the holidays?" Quinn informed her sister.

"Really?" Haley questioned, surprised.

Quinn nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow." Haley breathed out. "I didn't realize it has been that long."

"I have. I miss you, Haley Bob." Quinn stated.

"I know." Haley replied quietly, reaching across the table to squeeze her sister's hand. "I miss you, too."

"We need to do this more often." Quinn said. "With you here and me in Connecticut, we live too close to not keep in touch on a more personal level. There is simply no excuse."

"I agree." Haley replied. "Let's make a pact - right here, right now. We get together at least four times a year, holiday and family gatherings excluded."

"Deal." Quinn agreed, extending her hand.

The two sisters shook on it, laughing at themselves in the process.

At that moment, the waitress returned to their table with a smile and the check. Quinn reached for it but Haley quickly intervened.

"Oh, no, you don't." Haley said, intercepting the check. "You used your gas and money to come here so this is on me."

"I came here for selfish reasons, Bob." Quinn pointed out honestly. "Other than to spend time with my little sis, of course. I should pay for lunch."

"Quinn, don't fight me on this because you know I'll win." Haley replied, confident.

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, Hales, but I can still kick your ass."

"You may be..._scrappy_, but I'm a sarcastic smart ass who is very, very stubborn." Haley argued, persistent . "Please, Quinn. Consider it your wedding present."

"Fine, you win." Quinn relented, sighing. "Pay for our dang meals."

"Thanks, I will." Haley smirked victoriously as she placed cash down to cover both the bill and the tip before looking up at her sister. "Let's go shopping, shall we?"

"Yes!" Quinn exclaimed.

The two girls stood up and put on their jackets once again, readying themselves for the crisp December weather.

"That wasn't really my wedding present, was it?" Quinn couldn't help but ask.

Haley rolled her eyes, laughing as she latched onto her sister's arm and dragged her out of the cafe with her.

**OTHOTHOTH **

Haley weaved carefully through the crowd, carrying a tray full of drinks towards a table occupied by Quinn, Peyton, Brooke, and Millie. "I come bearing drinks!" She announced to the girls.

The four girls cheered loudly, causing several others to glance in their direction. They paid them no mind, not caring who stared at them. Actually, they were used to it. Being as beautiful as they all are, guys have been stealing glances at them all night. A few were even bold enough to send free drinks their way; the girls accepted the drinks but declined anything more as they are all involved in serious relationships with rings to prove it.

"Thanks, Hales." Peyton said graciously, picking up the red wine she had ordered.

"You are very welcome." Haley replied, passing a white wine to Brooke, a sex on the beach to Millie and a margarita to Quinn. "Drink up! This round is on me."

"Aww..." Quinn cooed, throwing her arms around her sister's body and pulling her in for a hug. "Isn't my baby sister the sweetest thing?"

"Quinn," Haley began, staring down at her sister, "please tell me you aren't drunk already."

"No, I'm not." Quinn reassured. "Just wanted to show ya some affection."

Haley laughed when her sister planted a lingering, slightly slopping, kiss against her cheek. "Good because I'm not a fan of drunk Quinn."

"Don't get too happy, Bob." Quinn warned, detaching her arms from her little sister. "I'm taking a night off from my stressful life, as per your request - I'm going home good and plastered."

"Here, here!"

The five girls followed the voice and saw that their sixth member of the group had returned from a trip to the bathroom.

"Yah, Rachel's back." Millie deadpanned, not a fan of the red-headed model.

"You should really try to be a nicer person, Millie." Rachel said, easing into her seat before staring pointedly at the brunette. "Nobody likes a bitch."

Millie rolled her eyes as she swallowed some of her drink.

Rachel shifted her eyes to the petite brunette standing near her. "Haley, have you come to join us or are you still working right now...as a waitress?"

Haley smiled sarcastically at Rachel, not as intimidated or affected by the words as the girl seems to think she is.

"Umm...where's the drink I ordered?" Rachel asked, looking around and seeing that all the other drinks had been brought over to the table except hers. "Jeez, Haley, I didn't think being a waitress could be that hard. You know, it's really sad when you can't even do the job you've been doing for years right."

"Oh, did I?" Haley replied with obvious fake sympathy as she placed her right hand over her heart. "I am so sorry."

"Well, why don't you got get it?" Rachel sneered. "Dirty martini - do your job and remember it this time."

"I'm sorry, Rachel, but I'm on a break now." Haley informed the girl. "If you want it, I suggest you go get it yourself."

Rachel glared at the brunette, knowing Haley had done that on purpose. Huffing, she jerked out of her chair and angrily stomped away, ignoring the snickers behind her.

"Go, Haley!" Millie cheered, smiling broadly as she looked at her friend. "You are my hero."

Haley smiled before glancing at the girl sitting next to Millie and saying, "Brooke, I don't know how you can stand to work with her."

"She's hot." Brooke explained simply, shrugging.

"She's a bitch." Peyton corrected.

"Yeah." Brooke agreed, nodding her head. "But she's a hot bitch. And unfortunately, she's a talented, hot bitch who makes my brand look good."

"I can't believe you invited her here tonight." Millie grumbled.

Brooke looked at her assistant. "Oh, I didn't invite her. Rachel, like she always does, invited herself."

"Shocking." Peyton murmured.

"I just don't get why that girl hates me so much." Haley said, confused but not heartbroken over it. "I certainly have no issues with her other than the fact that...well, she hates me for no apparent reason."

"Nathan keeps turning her down." Brooke supplied.

Haley wrinkled her forehead. "Okay...what does that have to do with me?"

"Because..." The dimpled brunette began, shifting in her seat, "Nathan used to always flirt right back with her. He was even thinking about giving it a shot with her, or at the very least sleep with her. That is...until you came into our lives, Haley James."

"I don't think the two things are related, Brooke." Haley laughed.

Brooke and Peyton shared a knowing look with one another.

"Oh, Haley," Brooke sighed, "my dear, sweet, naive friend."

"What?" Haley asked, staring at the girl before glancing over at Peyton. "I have nothing to do with whatever relationship may or may not be going on between Nathan and Rachel."

"Sure you don't." Peyton replied, smirking at the petite brunette.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Haley groaned, desperately wanting to change this subject.

"You're the one who brought it up." Brooke pointed out, sipping her drink.

Haley rolled her eyes and wanted to argue that she did not but also knew it wouldn't get her anywhere. Quinn was no help at the moment either as she stood and politely excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Following behind Lucas and Jake, Nathan walked into The Grange. There were bodies packed together. People were wearing all sorts of crazy New Year's Eve party favors, greatly anticipating the countdown to midnight. Brooke and Peyton had wanted to have a girl's night of sorts with some other friends for a few hours. The guys were more than happy to concede to their wants and demands. Since Haley was stuck working tonight, the whole group decided to meet at The Grange at ten o'clock so they could bring in the New Year together. Lucas and Jake had gone over to Nathan's apartment a couple of hours ago to eat pizza and play some NBA Live until it was time to head out.

Now, here they are.

They approached the girls' table.

Nathan immediately spotted Haley. Since she was working, she was wearing the required "uniform" which basically consisted of a black top of any style and any form of denim. Normally, she wore a plain black, v-neck top and a pair of jeans. Not tonight. Tonight, Haley was wearing a black, form-fitting halter top, a denim skirt that stopped at her mid-thighs, and a pair of black, almost knee-length boots. Her hair was down in tight, curly tendrils with some of it pulled back. Even her makeup was different - smoky eye shadow, black eyeliner, black mascara. She looked ridiculously...sexy - classy still but sexy. Nathan stared, not able to take his eyes off of Haley.

Lucas and Jake kissed their wives and then greeted the others with friendly "hellos".

"Hey!" Haley exclaimed, noticing and smiling at her neighbor.

Nathan returned the smile instantly. "Hey, Haley. You look..." His eyes traveled over her body again. "...amazing."

She blushed and whispered, "thank you."

Nathan smiled - he loved it when Haley blushed.

"Where's Mouth?" Lucas asked, seeing that their other friend wasn't sitting with them. "I thought he'd get here before us."

"Oh, he couldn't come." Millie answered with a pout. "The station called and asked him to cover the eleven o'clock position tonight."

"That sucks." Jake commented.

"Tell me about it." Millie replied. "Now I have nobody to kiss at midnight."

Everyone laughed.

"Quinn!" Haley shouted, noticing her sister's return from the bathroom. "Come here."

The older James girl skipped happily over to her sister.

Nathan took the time to "check out" his neighbor's big sister. Haley has pictures of her whole family all over her apartment so he already knew what she looked like but in person is always slightly different. Quinn was definitely beautiful – not surprising as all the James girls seemed to be. She was tall and slender. She had brown hair and blue eyes. The girl reminded him of Brooke - not by physical attributes, of course. Like his cousin, it was clear that Quinn had no problem showing off her body as she stood before him wearing a pretty revealing dress. If it weren't for Quinn being Haley's sister, Nathan may have even seen her as a potential...whatever the word may be.

"Nathan, this is my sister Quinn." Haley introduced, smiling. "Quinn, this is..."

"Nathan Scott, number twenty-three for the Knicks." Quinn finished for her.

"Yup." Haley said, popping the "p". "And my neighbor."

"You're even hotter in person." Quinn complimented bluntly, staring at the tall NBA player.

"Umm...thanks, I guess." Nathan replied as his eyes wandered over to Haley who was grinning at him.

"You single, Nathan?" Quinn asked.

Nathan stared at the girl, not knowing how to answer her question.

"You're not, Quinn." Haley reminded her sister, completely amused by the conversation.

"I know that, Bob. I'm just thinking...well, I might be single again. Just for tonight." Quinn stated, smiling at Nathan. "How good are you at keeping secrets? Promise not to tell my fiancé and I'll let you make out with me. Maybe more."

"Gosh, Quinn." Haley laughed, rolling her eyes.

Nathan chuckled and said, "I don't know. It's an awfully tempting offer but I think I'll have to pass."

Quinn jutted out her bottom lip in a pout.

"Sorry." Nathan apologized, shrugging. "Maybe if there wasn't a fiancé in the picture."

"Damn it!" Quinn muttered under her breath. "I knew saying yes would come back to bite me in the ass."

The two neighbors looked at one another and laughed.

"Well, I've gotta get back to work. You two," Haley glanced between her sister and her friend, "behave. I don't wanna have to deal with a certain wedding being called off. I'll never hear the end of it from mommy dearest."

"I'll try. Can't make any promises, though." Quinn responded, playfully winking at Nathan who laughed some more.

Haley snorted and shook her head as she turned to make her way back to the bar, gently squeezing her neighbor's arm in the process. She knew she didn't have anything to worry about. Quinn is a flirt but she's also insanely in love with her fiancé and would never do anything to jeopardize her relationship with him. And Nathan...well, Haley knew he would never try to go after her sister - for one, because of their friendship and two, Quinn is taken.

**OTHOTHOTH**

Sitting in the same spot with his friends, Nathan kept glancing around the bar. He has been here for almost two hours and he was so bored - maybe, it was more exhaustion as opposed to boredom, though. He loved his friends deeply but sometimes they talked too much. Plus, the married couples were acting so...married - kissing, touching, smiling and gazing deeply into each other's eyes. It was all enough to make him want to puke. Millie and Quinn were busy gabbing about something - girly crap in which held absolutely no interest to him. Sighing, he gulped down the rest of his beer. His eyes darted up at the bar where there was an empty seat, which just so happened to be in front of where Haley was currently standing. Nathan stood up and inched his way towards that direction.

"Hey there, stranger." Haley greeted, smiling at him as he sat down on the stool. "Haven't seen you too much tonight. Been pretty busy on my end."

Nathan gave her a quick nod of his head as a way of greeting.

"You want another beer?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "No. Can I just get some water?"

"Tap or bottle?"

"Bottle."

She nodded as she turned around to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator before handing it to him. She watched as he unscrewed the plastic cap and took a large swallow of the cold, refreshing liquid.

"You look exhausted." Haley commented. "Don't you have a game tomorrow at one?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah."

"You should go home, Nathan." She suggested. "It's New Year's - everybody is going to be partying until morning. You certainly can't do that - not with your game."

"When did New Year's Eve become a night I dread as opposed to one I looked forward to?" He questioned rhetorically, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Maybe when you got old." She teased, smirking.

"You know, I'm only four years older than you, Haley." He pointed out.

"Still, you'll be thirty soon while I'll be a youthful twenty-six."

"Let me get this straight - I'm twenty-six now and old, but when you get to that age, you'll still be considered youthful?"

"That is correct." She nodded.

"Why is that?"

"Because..." Haley leaned closer to him. "...you'll still be older than me."

At her smirk, Nathan chuckled.

For the next thirty minutes, Nathan remained seated at the bar as Haley ran around, taking orders and mixing drinks. They conversed during those quick minutes when she was behind the bar until she was pulled away by the callings of the job.

"And, it is 11:45!" Haley announced gleefully as she looked at her neighbor. "Time to clock out! I'll be back!"

Nathan laughed, gulping down some of his water as she skipped away from him. He waited patiently for her to return, which she did only three minutes later. She walked around the counter and came to a stop at his right side, sitting on the stool next to his when it became vacant.

"So, you're done for the night?" Nathan asked her as she nodded. "Does this mean that you get to grace me with your presence for the rest of New Year's Eve?"

"It does." Haley confirmed. "Aren't you lucky?"

"I am." He replied with a smile. "You know what I love about you, Haley James?"

"Everything." She smirked.

They laughed.

"That, and..." He shifted in his seat. "...compared to the other girls in this bar, you are dressed conservatively."

"Oh, no." She muttered and he looked at her confused. "You're venturing into dangerous territory when you talk to a woman about her clothing choices. Better tread lightly, Scott."

"Hey, don't just assume what I have to say is anywhere near negative." He countered, holding up his hands in defense.

She nodded slowly. "Okay. Proceed."

"Thank you." He replied before continuing. "I was going to say that...you're still the most beautiful and sexiest woman in here tonight."

"Uh huh." Haley hummed, staring at him skeptically. "What do you want?"

Nathan laughed. "Who are you sharing your midnight kiss with, Hales?"

"Well, let's check out my options, shall we?" She responded, glancing around the bar.

"How about that guy?" He suggested, pointing off in the crowd.

Her eyes followed where he was pointing - a somewhat bald, middle-age man who had a poorly groomed beard and mustache thing going on. "Hmm...as appealing as he is, I'd rather kiss my sister."

"Oh!" He smirked, his ears perking up as he looked at his neighbor.

She shot him a look of warning. "Don't you get any ideas."

They laughed while they continued to check out all of the seemingly single men in there tonight. There weren't many of them, and those that were, looked to have found their kissing partner, probably more, for the night.

"Some of Manhattan's finest, I see." Haley commented with a sigh. "I think I'm just going to skip the traditional midnight kiss this year."

"Or, maybe you should kiss the hottest, sexiest guy in the world." Nathan suggested, smirking as he wiggled his eyebrows.

She glanced at the crowd quickly. "Ooh, Channing Tatum is here?!"

"You're funny." He deadpanned.

"I try." She grinned and leaned in closer to him. "If you wanted to kiss me, Nathan, you just had to say so. Using an age old tradition as an excuse - pretty pathetic."

"And who says it's an excuse?" He teased.

They both laughed.

"So, what do you say?" Nathan asked again.

Haley looked at him surprised. "Oh, you're serious?" She questioned and he nodded. "Nathan...why don't you just find yourself someone else? There are at least a dozen girls sitting at the other end of the bar who want desperately to have your tongue down their throats."

They both looked over in that direction where there was in fact a cluster of women sitting there staring at him, practically undressing him with their eyes. A couple of them were even sending Haley the evil eye.

"Told ya." Haley stated before asking a coworker of hers for a glass of red wine.

"Not interested." Nathan said.

She raised an eyebrow. "You, Nathan Scott, are not interested in any of those gorgeous, scantily clad women over there?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"You feeling okay?" She asked, placing the back of her hand against his forehead.

"Stop!" Nathan griped, bemused, as he pushed her hand away.

Haley giggled.

"I just...I'm not up for anything tonight." He tiredly looked at her as he began to explain. "My body aches from my practice earlier, and I'm tired. My game is tomorrow, and I want to be as ready as I can be for it. The last thing I want to do is take some girl home, unless it's you of course seen as you live next door."

She smiled. "Of course."

"I am just too tired to go there." He finished with a sigh.

"Then, tell them that." She said, not understanding what the big deal is.

"Please, Hales." Nathan scoffed. "I'd still have to talk to them. Those girls over there, those types of girls...they don't take no for an answer."

Haley nodded, knowing exactly what he meant having seen it for herself. "I still don't get why you have to kiss me to keep the vultures away. It makes no sense."

"You sound as though the idea of kissing me is appalling." He quipped defensively.

She shook her head. "It's not that, Nathan."

"You sure?"

She heard the vulnerability in his tone.

The final ten second countdown till midnight began.

"Just forget I mentioned it." He waved it off. "It was a stupid idea."

_7, 6, 5..._

Haley watched as he stood up and took a couple of steps. She didn't know exactly what it was that impelled her to stop him but she did. Standing up quickly, she latched onto his upper arm and tugged. He turned around and their bodies came flush up against one another. Haley cupped his cheeks and leaned forward.

_3, 2, 1...Happy New Year!_

Nathan was caught completely off guard when her lips landed on his. He didn't react at first - too shocked to do anything but stand there frozen like some amateur idiot. When he finally realized what was happening, he immediately started to respond to her kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in even closer as his lips began to move with hers. Her lips parted and Nathan took that as an invitation to push for more. He slid his tongue gently into her mouth and found hers instantly. Nathan massaged her tongue slowly and felt her hands leave his cheeks as her arms wound around his neck.

Their kiss was slow but full of passion.

Several minutes later, the pair broke apart when the need for air became too much to ignore. Their breathing evened out as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Well," Haley breathed, "I get it now."

Nathan's forehead wrinkled in confusion as he asked, "Get what?"

"How you're able to nail so many women." She elaborated, grinning up at him.

He sent her a crooked smile before leaning down so his mouth was hovering against her ear as he whispered huskily, "If my kisses get you this worked up, just imagine how you'd feel after a night of very intense, passionate love-making."

"Mmm..." She couldn't help but moan quietly at the images his words conjured within her mind. "Yeah, 'cause that's gonna happen."

Nathan kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger against her skin. He smirked when her breathing hitched slightly. "Happy New Year, Hales." He said before walking away, glancing back to wink at her.

Haley blushed and bit at her bottom lip as she stared at his retreating form.

"I saw that." Quinn whispered, smirking.

Haley jumped, startled for a second by her sister's sudden appearance. "What?" She tried to play dumb, taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh, don't even!" Quinn warned. "You know exactly what I'm talking about Haley Bob James!"

"It was nothing, Quinn." Haley quickly dismissed.

"Nothing?" Quinn repeated incredulously. "Bob, that kiss wasn't 'nothing'. That was freakin' hot!"

Haley rolled her eyes.

"Is there something going on between you and McHottie over there?" Quinn asked, her eyes gleaming with interest.

"You need to lay off of the _Grey's Anatomy_ reruns, Quinny." Haley told her sister.

"Don't change the subject, Hales." Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "Is there something going on between you and Nathan?"

"No."

"I don't believe you. Not after a kiss like that."

"Quinn." Haley sighed and saw the pointed look her sister was sending her. "Fine. Yes, the kiss was...hot, but there wasn't anything more to it. Sorry to dash your hopes but Nathan and I are strictly friends slash neighbors."

Quinn exhaled a deep breath, internally annoyed with her sister's denial. "Bummer."

"Wha...why do you say that?" Haley asked, not being able to help herself.

"Well, just to get this out there." Quinn began. "I've been wondering if there was something going on between you guys all night. First, with what your friends said earlier."

"Brooke and Peyton don't know what they're talking about." Haley immediately argued.

Quinn raised an eyebrow at her sister's defensive tone but chose not to comment on it as she added, "There's this definite...sexual vibe there."

"No, there isn't." Haley denied yet again, shaking her head.

"Not to mention," Quinn continued, not missing a beat, "how much he has been staring at you all night."

Haley blushed, glancing down at the floor and whispered, "He has not."

"Yes, he has." Quinn confirmed and then shrugged casually. "But, I guess I read that all wrong since again, the kiss meant nothing. Well, see ya later!"

Haley was speechless as she looked up once more and watched as her sister pushed away from the bar, sauntering over to where the others were still sitting. She kept replaying Quinn's words - there was no truth to any of them. _Was there?_ Haley quickly shook her head. No, there wasn't. She and Nathan are only friends - they may flirt from time to time but that doesn't mean there is anything more to it. Besides, what would a rich, good-looking NBA superstar want in her; she was just a college student who waitressed part-time on the weekends, and she has seen the girls who have walked in and out of his door. They were just friends, and Haley was more than okay with that. Smiling, satisfied with her thoughts, she glanced over at Nathan. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw that he was staring at her. Their eyes locked. Haley felt the heat of her blush creep down her neck and to her chest when Nathan smiled at her.

_Just friends.  
>It could never be more than that.<br>It would never work out between them._

**There you guys go - I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We had Nathan and Haley's first kiss! Hopefully, I didn't disappoint. :) Yes, I'm sure you all realize our favorite couple is in some serious denial mode - that will continue for a while, not to give away too much. But isn't that half the fun, to watch their journey and see what actually gets them to the point of admitting something more? Haha!**

**I'm hoping to put another chapter up next Friday, the sixth. Until then!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Hey, I'm back with another chapter! I am so very sorry for the very late update. Two reasons: one, I honestly have been so busy in my real life and two, this chapter kept giving me a hard time. I had such a clear vision for it when I outlined the timeline but when I actually started writing, nothing seemed to flow right for me. I wrote and rewrote the ending so many times that I finally just said "SCREW IT!" and gave up. I really hope the chapter is okay (maybe even enjoyable) for you guys. I will say, though - this chapter is basically where I feel like the story line has been done before (many times) by other authors. I just hope that you all still enjoy my direction with it. :)**

**Real quick - I changed the date in this chapter. In chapter one, Brooke says her fashion show is on February 11th but it's really on the 9th. I would go change that in the actual chapter one but I'm WAY TOO tired and lazy to do so. Please, just overlook that very minor detail. ;)**

**A big thanks to naleyhumor, rocklesson86, NaleyWriter23, saderia, 2naley, SPNALEY, Laura, jena23, thibbs65, ktlynrose, ****NALEY23alwaysforever, ScRuPuLoUs, deb025, NALEYAAF23, othfangirl, and all the guests for your reviews. I genuinely love to read what you guys have to say and know that you are enjoying this story so much. As always, thank you for all the story/author alerts I have received and continue to receive for this story.**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with _One Tree Hill_. The song and band I referenced in this chapter is _Don't Upset The Rhythm_ by Noisettes. I also have no affiliation with _Star Magazine_.**

_February 9, 2013_

After shrugging on his suit jacket, Nathan grabbed his wallet that was sitting on the nightstand in his bedroom and slipped it into the back pocket of his slacks. He also picked up his keys before leaving the room, flipping the light switch off along the way. Checking to make sure the rest of the lights in his place were out, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway, locking the door to his apartment then. Nathan strolled the few feet over to his neighbor's and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" He heard her holler in the distance.

Nathan turned the doorknob and fully entered her apartment, closing the door securely behind him. He walked a couple of steps and stopped short when she came into his view. His eyes traveled the length of her body slowly, taking in every inch of her as she stood before him wearing a strapless, mustard yellow dress that stopped at her mid-thighs with a black belt wrapped around the waist. Her hair was down and straight. _God, she is breathtaking._ Nathan thought as he stared at her.

"Wow, you look..." He was at a loss for words. "...wow!"

"Really? It's okay?" Haley asked, self-conscious, as she glanced down at herself. "I wasn't sure...I mean, this is a fashion show so I wanted to look...I thought it'd be a good idea if...after class I went shopping and..."

"Haley, Haley," Nathan jumped in, wanting to stop her nervous rambling, as he stepped closer to her, "you look amazing."

Haley smiled, knowing he was nothing but sincere, and her stomach fluttered when she noticed the intense way he was staring at her. She has been a little nervous about tonight - about being with Nathan. They haven't exactly talked about their unplanned and unexpected New Year's kiss. It wasn't as if their relationship has been strained or anything but Haley isn't one to just "let things go". She has wanted to bring it up but they have both been so busy - Nathan has been traveling a lot over the past few weeks for his games, and she has been really focussed on her school work. She doesn't want tonight to be awkward. And, she doesn't want that one kiss to ruin their friendship. That thought - it terrifies Haley. She loves having Nathan in her life. He has become so incredibly important to her, and Haley would be devastated if she lost him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

His voice broke her out of her thoughts and she looked up at him. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"It's just...you looked like you were about to cry." He told her, the concern evident on his face and in his tone. "Your eyes are tearing up."

"Oh." She replied lamely as she swiped at them, careful not to ruin her makeup. She didn't even realize she was on the cusp of crying. "I'm fine."

"Okay." He responded, trusting that she would tell him if something was in fact wrong.

"You look nice." She complimented, hoping to change the subject as she sauntered closer to him, fingering his tie. "You're very handsome, Nathan Scott."

"I know." He replied smugly, shrugging.

She tossed her head back and laughed. "Of course you know it."

Nathan grinned at her.

"New cologne?" Haley asked, glancing up at him with raised eyebrows. "Is that for all those hot models tonight?"

"Of course." He smirked. "You think it'll work?"

"Absolutely." She smiled and nodded before adding, "Nathan, you could go in there smelling terrible and looking terrible, and you still wouldn't have any problem nabbin' yourself some groupies."

"What about you?" Nathan inquired, a mix between teasing and serious. "Does this cologne work on you?"

Haley inhaled a deep breath as he moved an inch closer to her. _Yes._ She mentally answered when the scent of his cologne wafted past her nostrils, causing her to close her eyes for a brief moment. Her thighs clamped shut and her fingers curled. That was when she realized her hands were still laying flat against his chest. She pulled them back as if she had been burned. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Feigning that she had to get something from her bedroom, Haley told him she would be right back before hastily walking away.

Nathan couldn't help but smirk at her reaction as he watched her retreat from him as if she were on fire. He enjoyed knowing how much of an effect he can have on her. He has always had this..._attraction_ to her, even knowing it would never go anywhere beyond friendship. But ever since since their kiss over a month ago, that attraction was shifting towards something more. Now, Nathan sees her and his desire to kiss her again increases greatly. Can you blame him - Haley is a kind, smart, beautiful woman and any guy would be lucky to have her. Having Haley in his life has meant so much to him, and he doesn't want to do anything to ruin that. Lately, though, Nathan can't help but wonder if...there might be something more to them one day - a thought that doesn't sound too unappealing to him.

Ridding himself of those thoughts, Nathan glanced at all of the pictures in her living room. He has seen the pictures many times before, of course - he just needed to do something to keep his mind occupied as she took her sweet time. There were so many pictures - everywhere, of everyone in her life she clearly loved. Nathan smiled as he stared at them - smiled at how beautiful she was in each and every one of them.

"Sorry about that." Haley apologized, returning to the living room. "You ready to go?"

Nathan turned to face her and asked, "How long have we known each other, Haley?"

"Umm, eighteen months." She answered, confused by the randomness of his question. "Quite a while."

"Yeah." He agreed, nodding. "So, I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"There aren't any pictures of us around here." He pointed out, glancing around her living room once again. "I mean, look at that." He gestured to a picture of Haley with Brooke and Peyton. "I know you like me better than those two girls."

"Is that right?" She replied with a smirk.

"I'm just saying, there aren't any pictures of us - you and me."

"No, I guess there aren't. But, that wasn't a question."

"Okay, smart ass." Nathan said, causing her to laugh. "My question is...don't you think we should change that?"

"I don't know." Haley shrugged and then countered, "What about your place? I don't remember seeing any pictures of us over there either."

"You've got a point." He agreed.

"So, we should change that then, too." She reiterated his words.

He nodded. "We should."

"Okay!" Haley chirped, skipping over to the kitchen island where her purse was sitting; she reached inside for her iPhone. "Let's take a picture!"

"Just one?" Nathan replied.

She rolled her eyes while skipping back to him. "One for right now."

"That's a start."

"Yeah." She nodded, smiling. "Now, I really suck at these self...picture type...things."

He chuckled at her words and the look on her face as she stared down at her phone - her tongue was peeking out between her lips as her fingers fumbled with trying to figure things out. He asked her if she needed any help.

"I'm just...trying to find that button that..." She paused, glancing up at him, "you know, the one where you can actually see yourself while taking a picture."

Grinning, he stepped closer to her and pointed to her phone. "Right there."

"That thing?" She questioned, wrinkling her forehead.

"Yup." He confirmed, smirking. "That..._thing_."

Haley looked at him, pouting. "Don't make fun of me, Nathan."

Nathan laughed as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into him. The scent of whatever perfume or body wash or shampoo, maybe a mix of everything, she was wearing practically impaled him, and he closed his eyes. She smelled incredible - it was intoxicating. Then again, she always smelled this good. Nathan smiled, content with having her in his arms like this.

Except - he had a strong desire to kiss her.

Nathan settled for dropping a quick kiss on the top of her head before leaning back slightly and saying, "Let's take that picture."

Haley smiled instantly and held her phone out in front of them. "Ready?" She asked as she positioned the camera so they could see themselves.

"I'm ready."

Smiling, she snapped the picture and brought her phone to her to take a look. That smile dropped, though, when she realized that her hand had moved so the picture was only of their blurry foreheads.

"Great pic, Hales." He teased her.

"Shut up." She whined. "I told you I'm bad at this."

"Yes, you are." He didn't hesitate to agree, nodding his head and then laughed when she playfully backhanded him on the chest. "Give it here."

Huffing, she begrudgingly handed over her phone.

"How about we try that again, shall we? Only - better." He asked her, smirking when she glared at him. "Come on now, Hales, show me that beautiful smile of yours."

She did and the two leaned in together once more. He snapped the picture - a picture that turned out perfectly centered.

"I'm good, aren't I?"

Haley rolled her eyes at his smugness and mumbled, "Well, I'm sure you have lots of practice taking photos of yourself."

"Maybe." Nathan grinned as she stared at him. "I'd rather take more photos of us, though. I may be very photogenic but the two of us together...it's even better."

"So, are you this charming with all the girls or..."

"Just you." He finished for her.

Haley smiled as he winked at her.

**OTHOTHOTH**

Standing closely beside her neighbor at the bar, Haley silently observed her surroundings. There had to be hundreds of people here tonight which was kind of overwhelming. Bright, blinding lights flashed all around her. Loud, incessant chatter filled the room. She felt a gentle tapping on her shoulder and looked over to see Nathan holding out a glass of champagne for her. She took it, thanking him as they shared a soft smile. Haley didn't hesitate to take a sip, needing some alcohol in her system right at this very moment.

Nathan leaned forward and down and whispered in her ear, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She answered. "Just...a little nervous for some reason."

"Nervous?" He questioned, confused. She simply nodded, offering no further explanation - most likely because like she said, she wasn't sure. "There's nothing to be nervous about. It's just an ordinary night with your friends."

"Ordinary." Haley snorted. "Ordinary for me doesn't include all of...this, Nathan."

Nathan watched as she gestured in front of her. He reached for her hands and brought them up to his lips, kissing her knuckles lightly. "You'll get used to it." He reassured her.

"Am I gonna be doing this type of thing frequently or something?" She asked him.

He only shrugged in response.

"This isn't...me." She began quietly, stepping closer to him without even realizing it. "I mean, it doesn't bother me. Honestly, it doesn't. But, the cameras and everything...I've never been anywhere quite like this before."

"You went to my opening game this season." He pointed out.

"Yeah but that was different." She countered. "That was...behind the scenes, so to speak. There were no cameras up in that room."

Nathan smiled softly as he raised her hand to her cheek where he cupped it lightly, rubbing his thumb in a gentle back-and-forth motion against her skin. It was moments like this one that reminded him of who Haley James is - she is a simple girl from a small town who never craved this type of lifestyle. That is what draws Nathan to her.

_Of course, those aren't the only things._

"Just stick by me, Hales." He said. "You don't have anything to worry about."

"Famous last words." Haley teased, grinning when he chuckled. Then, she grew more serious once again. "I will, you know. Be sticking by you tonight. I hope you don't mind."

Nathan shook his head. "No, I'll never mind that."

They smiled at one another until noticing others were starting to find their seats.

Nathan clasped his right hand with her left one and led Haley to their seats, already saved by Lucas, Jake, and Peyton. Haley sat in the empty chair next to her blonde girlfriend while Nathan took the one beside her, keeping their fingers linked together as they sat closely to each other.

A minute later, the lights dimmed and a spotlight shined on Brooke who was standing on the stage. The dimpled beauty spoke so eloquently and efficiently. Her words held such a deep passion as her voice caught in her throat slightly. After a short and appropriate introduction, Brooke introduced the band. The Noisettes hit the stage, singing _Don't Upset The Rhythm_ as model after model came waltzing down the runway like they owned it.

Haley, forgetting about all of her previous nervousness, watched with wide eyes that sparkled with fascination. She was hardly a "high fashion" type of girl but she was beginning to understand the appeal. So many different outfits and shoes and accessories. Most of them were amazing - things she would probably never buy in her "real" life as they weren't her but could at least imagine herself in them if they were. The music from the band had a perfect flow with the models and created such a fun, entertaining atmosphere. Watching this...Haley found herself amazed by her friend's talent.

_Brooke clearly loves what she does._

A reception immediatey followed the fashion show where interviews were conducted and guests mingled while dining on delicious appetizers and drinking alcoholic beverages.

After congratulating Brooke on a successful evening and hugging both her and Lucas goodbye, Nathan walked through the crowd that was slowly beginning to disperse. He headed towards the bar, knowing Haley was waiting for him there. Along the way, not really paying attention, Nathan bumped into someone and apologized.

_Rachel Gattina._

"Nathan!" Rachel exclaimed, eyeing him. "Just the guy I was looking for."

Nathan sighed, not in the mood for her tonight. "Rachel." He greeted with a tight smile.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

"Yes, I did." He answered, nodding. "Brooke is very talented, and I'm very proud of her."

"How did I look up there?" She asked huskily, stepping closer to him.

"You looked as great as ever, Rachel." He complimented politely. _Heck, it was the truth._

Rachel grinned. "So, I was thinking about getting a drink with some friends but...we could go somewhere instead. Just the two of us. What do you say?"

_There it is._

"Listen, Rachel," Nathan began gently, "if this were...a couple years ago, I may have said yes."

"What changed?" She prodded.

"Nothing. I just...I'm not interested." He told her and then apologized. "Sorry."

"I figured." She shrugged. "Had to give it a shot, though, right?"

He chuckled, nodding. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

She laughed as well.

Nathan smiled at her and then moved to leave when she stopped him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is this about Haley?"

"What?" Nathan stared at her, confused by what she was asking him.

"Do you...you and Haley...you like her, don't you?" Rachel inquired bluntly.

"I, umm...no...I mean, yes, of course I like her." He stammered, caught off guard by her question. "She's one of my best friends."

"Yeah, okay, _friends_." She smirked. "At least my reasons for being such a bitch to her all the time were sound."

Nathan felt himself go into instant protection mode over his neighbor at the red-head's words. "Why were you being a bitch to Haley?"

"It doesn't matter. Rachel smiled, shrugging. "Besides, Haley didn't take - that girl...she may be half my size but she can definitely dish it right back."

Nathan laughed at that and nodded. "Yes, she can."

"Well, goodnight, Nathan."

"Night, Rachel." He replied. "For what it's worth, you were the hottest model up there."

Rachel smirked. "Tell me something I don't know."

Laughing, Nathan watched as she winked at him before walking away. He then resumed with his previous destination towards the bar. There were still some reporters with their cameras there and he has been successful in dodging them all night; he was trying his hardest to do the same now as he carefully meandered through the people until arriving at the bar. Haley was sitting on a stool - not alone. There was a guy on the stool next to her, very clearly hitting on her. Nathan felt what he could only describe as jealousy pass through him as he stood frozen in place while staring at them.

Haley laughed.  
>Nathan smiled - that was her fake laugh.<p>

Surging forward, Nathan placed his hand on her shoulder when reaching them. "Hey."

"Hey, you're back!" Haley exclaimed happily, sending her neighbor a bright, exuberant smile. She immediately sprang up from her seat and threw her arms around his shoulders and whispered in his ear, "Thank God you're here."

He smirked at her words as she pulled away from their embrace. He didn't let her go completely as he wrapped his left arm around her, his hands resting on her waist. He tucked her into his side and left a lingering kiss against her hair.

"You're Nathan Scott." The guy she was talking to acknowledged, staring at the NBA player in admiration.

"I am." Nathan smiled smugly, extending his hand out. "Hey, thanks for keeping my girlfriend company while she was waiting for me."

Haley blushed at his _girlfriend_ comment.

The guy stared between the two. "Oh, umm...yeah, of course." He stammered, accepting Nathan's handshake.

"Thanks for the drink, Dillon." Haley said graciously. "It was really nice talking to you."

The guy simply nodded, red tinting his cheeks rapidly as he smiled tightly at the "couple" before hightailing it away from them.

Nathan and Haley couldn't help but laugh as they watched him, and then they turned to face each other.

"Jeez, Hales, I'm gone for fifteen minutes and you find yourself an admirer." Nathan teased.

"What can I say?" Haley shrugged, smiling. "Thank you for the save. He was a nice guy and all but...yeah, let's just say he wasn't my type. And, thank you for not going all...caveman on him."

"What would be the point in that?" He asked rhetorically. "He got the message - no need to pile it on. Besides, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Come on, Haley, don't even try to go there." He replied with a scoff.

She rolled her eyes but also laughed.

"You ready to go?" Nathan then asked her.

Haley nodded. "I am."

He shed out of his jacket and handed it to her. "Here. It's chilly outside, and someone didn't bring her own jacket."

She blushed at the pointed look he sent her way and defended herself, "I didn't realize it would get so cold tonight. It's not like I had to stand outside for long or anything."

"Uh huh." He mumbled, waiting as she slipped one of her arms through the sleeve before helping her with the other one. "You're just lucky I'm a gentleman."

She cuddled into the warmth of his jacket that smelled so much like him.

Seeing Haley in his jacket had Nathan's mind going crazy. He wanted to see her in his clothes more often, especially a t-shirt. God, she would look incredible wearing just his shirt - a shirt with his name and Knicks number definitely wouldn't be a bad thing to look at either. At all. That thought had all of his blood practically running south on him. He knew, on some level, how inappropriate it was to fantasize about her - about his friend and next-door neighbor. But, Nathan also couldn't deny how unbelievably attractive Haley is.

Her yawning snapping him out of his _inappropriate_ thoughts. "Well, that is my cue to get you home."

Haley nodded tiredly and smiled as he wrapped his arm around her while leading her outside so they could both go home.

* * *

><p>Nathan lounged back on his couch, his feet stretched out in front of him on the coffee table, as he flicked through the channels. There seemed to be nothing of any interest on at the moment. Over four hundred channels and nothing. Figures - he has a completely free day to do nothing, no games or practices or...anything, and there isn't even a damn thing worth while to watch on the television. <em>Boring. Boring. Boring.<em> He mentally thought with each push of his remote control. Just then, the door to his apartment thrust open, and Nathan saw Clay dragging a clearly just woken Haley inside.

"Hey, what's going on you guys?" He asked, confused.

"Nathan, sweetie, would you please tell your dear agent that I am not a morning person?" Haley said as she plopped down beside him on the couch, curling into his side and resting her head on his shoulder while closing her eyes. "I don't appreciate it when someone pounds on my door so early in the morning."

"It's 9:00." Clay pointed out.

"Exactly." She huffed.

Nathan chuckled and looked at his agent. "That's early for Haley."

Haley nodded while yawning.

"What are you doing here, Clay?" Nathan inquired. "And why did you bring Haley over here with you?" He looked down at his neighbor. "Not that I'm complaining about seeing you, though."

She kept her eyes closed and her head resting on his shoulder but smiled at his words.

"A coworker of mine sent me a message this morning - early this morning, telling me to go out and buy the newest issue of _Star Magazine_." Clay began to explain. "I did."

"Good for you." Nathan mumbled, not getting where his friend was going with this.

"No, not good for me." Clay argued before tossing the same magazine at the two sitting on the couch. "Take a look at that."

Haley yawned again, opening her eyes so she could see what has Clay so bent out of shape. Peering over her neighbor's shoulder to get a better look, she saw herself and Nathan plastered on the cover. It was a picture of them that was clearly taken at the fashion show two days prior - she was wrapped in his arms and he was kissing the top of her head. Haley definitely wasn't expecting to see that.

"Aww...what a cute picture!" She gushed and then patted Nathan on the shoulder. "You said you wanted more pictures of us."

"Touche." Nathan replied smirking. "I have to say, Haley James, you looked sexy as hell in that dress."

"Thank you." She smiled and immediately returned the compliment. "You didn't look so bad yourself."

He smirked, chuckling under his breath, as he gazed over the magazine cover. "Oh, there's more inside!"

"Hurry up!" She demanded impatiently while watching him flip to the pages.

In the dead center of the magazine were more pictures of the two of them: hugging and smiling at one another, holding hands, outside waiting for the valet. There was also an article, _New Romance for Nathan Scott_ as the headliner. They read through the printed words aloud, laughing at what the media had to report about their so-called relationship.

"Can you guys please take this seriously?" Clay grumbled, annoyed.

"Oh, come on, Clay, it's not a big deal." Nathan responded, chuckling.

"Yeah." Haley quickly joined in. "So they snapped a few pictures of us. Okay, the pictures do look a little...incriminating?" She glanced at her neighbor. "Is that the right word?"

"Sounds right." Nathan responded with a shrug.

"But that's all." She continued. "They were completely innocent moments that the press manipulated. Shocking." She mumbled, rolling her eyes. "It doesn't bother me. On the contrary, I'm kind of flattered."

"You should be." He said, smiling at her. "It's not everyday you get to be photographed with a hot, NBA player such as myself."

"Guys!" Clay shouted in impatient irritation.

"Clay," Nathan groaned, dropping his feet to the carpet and tossing the magazine onto the coffee table, "believe us when we say this isn't a big deal. Pretty soon there will be something else the media will find to spin. We appreciate the concern and the warning but you could have just called me."

"That's not why I came by." Clay informed the two.

"Then, I'm here why?" Haley asked, annoyed. "Why did you wake me up? I have a class in three hours - I need my sleep."

"Listen," Clay started hesitantly while glancing between the two, "these rumors...they aren't exactly new."

"What do you mean?" Nathan questioned, confused.

"There was a small rumor circulating around New Year's." Clay revealed before expanding. "Apparently, someone mentioned a kiss between the two of you."

Nathan and Haley glanced at one another, blushing at that recent memory. Smiling, they both quickly averted eye contact.

"Okay, so I'm guessing it was true." Clay deduced after witnessing their reactions.

"That was nothing." Nathan quickly dismissed. "Just embracing a classic New Year's tradition."

"Yeah, Clay." Haley added. "That whole thing...it was completely innocent."

Clay held up his hand in mock defense. "Hey, personally, I don't care what you guys do or why you do it." He told them honestly. "Fuck each other senseless for all I care."

Haley blushed at his crude and callous words.

"Then what's your problem?" Nathan asked, his own irritation setting in. "If you don't care and we don't care...what's with the morning wake up call?"

"Nate, a big part of my job is protecting you. I've been doing it for years." Clay stated and watched as his client nodded his understanding and agreement. He sighed before continuing. "There's been some...negativity surrounding your name lately."

"What?" Nathan replied, laughing. "No, there hasn't. I haven't heard anything."

"That's because I've kept it to myself. I'm very good at my job, Nate." Clay wasn't ashamed to admit. "But it's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Nathan repeated incredulously. "You tell me there's negativity surrounding my name lately but it's not bad. What the hell does that even mean? And, how?" He stared at the guy imploringly. "I haven't done anything that would warrant any negativity. I haven't been getting drunk in any clubs or bars. I haven't been involved in any fights or even any verbal arguments. And I haven't been with anyone since Carrie."

"You haven't?" Haley asked, surprised. "Not even while on the road?"

His facial features and his tone softened as he looked at her, shaking his head. "No, no one."

"That's what this is about?" Clay quickly jumped in, causing both Nathan and Haley to turn their attention back on him. "Carrie."

"Carrie?" Nathan stated, confused. "I haven't talked to the girl in months."

"Yeah, well she has certainly been talking about you."

"What does that mean?" Nathan questioned when his agent muttered those words.

"Carrie...she has..."

"Oh, just spit it out, Clay!" Haley shouted, shocking the guys who stared at her for a moment. "What?"

Nathan let out a small laugh at her miniature outburst as she then encouraged, in a calmer tone, his agent to continue with whatever it is he has to say.

"Ever since you broke up with Carrie, she has kind of been slamming you in the media." Clay revealed, waiting for his client's reaction.

"What a bitch." Haley muttered under her breath. "Although, not surprising."

"Okay." Nathan said slowly. "So...is this something I need to worry about?"

"I don't think so." Clay answered honestly. "Carrie...she's angry and venting. Her words aren't having a great impact on your career - at all really. But, she is generating some negativity." He explained before expanding. "Look, we all know that Carrie is one meltdown away from a mental institution..even some media coverage on her has alluded to that...but it's not fair that her crazy antics could effect you. I just want to try to turn that around."

"How?" Nathan inquired.

"Well, I have...a proposal for you guys. Something to generate some positivity to counteract the negativity."

"What kind of proposal?" Nathan asked his agent.

Haley stared at the blonde guy, waiting for him to continue with whatever he may want. _What could he possibly want that includes the two of them?_

"Well," Clay cleared his throat, "I was thinking that...maybe the two of you could be...a real couple. A fake real couple." He saw the wide-eyed confusion between the other two. "Just for a little while. The media already thinks there's something going on between you guys so..."

"So...what?" Nathan asked lowly, glaring at his agent. "You want us to...pretend we're a couple?"

"Yea." Clay answered simply with a casual shrug. "Nothing major. You know just...go out in public together occasionally - holding hands, maybe share a kiss or two. Confirm your relationship. At least for a few months, until the negativity dies down."

"Clay, this is rid..."

"Wait!" Haley exclaimed, interrupting her neighbor as she sprang up suddenly from her spot on the couch. "That's perfect!"

Nathan and Clay stared at the girl like she was crazy.

"What is?" Nathan asked.

"Along with helping you, you can help me." She told him, smiling broadly.

"How?" Nathan continued to prod, still confused.

"Nathan, this could help get my family...well, more importantly, my mom off my back." She began to explain. "The reporters will report their stories and snap their pictures - my face with yours, plastered all over the magazines. It'll be great! No longer will I have to hear 'Haley Bob, when are you gonna find yourself a husband? You're not getting any younger.' anymore."

"Wait, your middle name is _Bob_?" Clay asked, looking at her with amused, squinted eyes.

"That's not the point." Haley dismissed, shaking her head.

"It would piss my parents off. Especially my dad." Nathan stated, laughing slightly. "That could be fun."

"I don't know about that. I've met your parents." She countered, raising her eyebrow. "But then again, a part of me wouldn't mind ticking off your parents considering...well, you know."

He chuckled, nodding. "Yes, I know."

"You can be my date to my sister's wedding." Haley said, her eyes brightening at the thought. She could tell that he seemed weary by this whole idea but couldn't figure out why - this was good for them both. "We can help each other, Nathan."

Nathan smiled at her, amazed that she was so willing and eager to enter into this...charade with him - even if it was for her benefit just as much as his. Could he let her do this, though? He immediately thought back to the night of the fashion show, back to how uncomfortable she was - and that wasn't anything close to what was going on now. Haley was already on the cover of a magazine and they aren't even dating - for real or pretend. He could only imagine what it may be like if they came out as a "couple". He didn't care about the things Carrie was spreading about him - he did, however, care a lot about Haley. Nathan wanted nothing more than to protect her - he wasn't so sure this was a good idea.

This was something they both needed to think about...and more importantly, talk about.

**So, there you go! Please let me know what you think.**

**Okay, honest time! I am going to be super busy for the rest of the week and weekend. I am really hoping to get some writing in between so I can get a chapter up for you guys as quickly as I can. If not, I am at least pushing for next Friday. I know, I know - it's nine days away! I will work really hard to make it sooner, but I can't make any promises. ****Please just bear with me.**

**Have a great day/week/weekend! :)**


	8. Chapter Eight

**I'm back with another chapter. This is kind of a filler chapter - mostly with Nathan and Haley talking more about things. I hope it's still enjoyable, though.**

**I do apologize for the long wait - that was never my intention. On the fifteenth of February, I had a miscarriage at fourteen weeks so I wasn't exactly feeling up to writing. But, I am feeling much better so I should be getting back into the swing of writing. Thank you for your patience (if you kept it ;) ). Again, I am sorry for the wait.**

**As always, thank you so much to NaleyWriter23, jena23, kalbri01, saderia, NALEY23alwaysforever, naleyhumor, ****2naley, Laura, thibbs65, NALEYAAF23, othfangirl, SPNALEY, rocklesson86, ScRuPuLoUs, brianna4797, ktlynrose, S.W and all the guests who left reviews. You guys are seriously my inspiration behind this story! I'm absolutely thrilled and beyond appreciative that I'm already over one hundred reviews! I love you all!**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes. I didn't proofread through this chapter very well so hopefully it isn't full of mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with _One Tree Hill_ nor do I own anything affiliated with the New York Knicks. I also have no affiliation with Lugo Caffe.**

_February 12, 2013_

Haley sat on a stool at the island in her kitchen, her laptop on the hard counter surface. She stared at the screen as her fingers typed rapidly and diligently. She honestly loves school, loves learning, but she also couldn't deny the fact that she can hardly wait for the day when it is all over. Sadly, having chosen to further her education, she still has at least two more years of graduate school following graduation in May. She heard a quick knock at her door; before she could get up to answer, though, the door swung open. Haley didn't bother to see who had just entered her apartment - she knew already.

"Haley James." Nathan greeted, smiling as he strolled over to where she was sitting.

Haley returned the smile, though her eyes never left the laptop. "Hey."

"What are you doing?" He asked her as he opened the refrigerator and grabbed himself a bottle of water.

"I'll give you one guess."

"Something school related." He replied acurately as she nodded. "Seriously, Hales, I don't think I know anyone else who obsesses more about her school work than you do."

"Well," she sighed, "unlike someone I know, I can't get by in life by how well I can throw a ball through a hoop."

"Ouch." Nathan feigned hurt while placing his hand over his heart.

Haley laughed as she saved her work before closing her laptop and finally glancing up at him. "So, what's up?"

"I just...thought maybe we should talk." He said and actually felt nervous. "Yesterday, we didn't really get a chance to talk about...you know, Clay's proposal."

"What about it?"

"Really, Haley?" He replied incredulously, sending her a pointed look. "There's a lot to talk about."

"Why are you so hesitant with this, Nathan?"

"You." He answered simply.

"Me?" She was puzzled. "What about me?"

"Haley, I don't think you're fully grasping what Clay wants from us."

"Now you're just insulting me." Haley countered as he stared at her dumbfounded. "I'd like to think that I'm a pretty smart girl. I understand perfectly well what all this means, Nathan."

"Really?" Nathan challenged. "You get that your picture is going to be plastered all over magazines and on the television. Stories are gonna be written about us, about you. Reporters are going to try to invade your private life, Haley. Is that something you really want? Something you're prepared for?"

"Sure." She responded with a shrug and then added, "Look, I'm not naive, okay. I know this might get...difficult at times, but...Nathan, I want to do this."

"Why?"

"For me. For you." She replied, her tone full of exasperation. "Carrie is...it's not right or fair what she's doing to you."

"I don't care about me - I care about you!" Nathan exclaimed, desperate for her to understand.

Haley smiled at him, incredibly touched by his words. "Nathan," she began, standing up and walking closer to him, "you are so sweet, and I really appreciate your concern. But...I'm a big girl - I can handle whatever happens."

"Hales, three nights ago, you were uncomfortable at Brooke's fashion show." He pointed out gently. "And the cameras weren't flashing in front of your face. Reporters weren't screaming out questions towards you, wanting every detail of your life."

"I know." She sighed, sending him a soft, comforting smile. "I have thought about this, Nathan. Honestly, I have. And, I still wanna do this. I want to get my mom off my back - even if it's only for a little while. That's better than nothing."

He chuckled, nodding his head. When it comes to her mother and all the venting she has done to him over recent months, he could understand why she was so willing to do this.

"You're worried about me and I get that." She continued. "But you don't have to. If this doesn't work out or...I can't handle it, I'll tell you." She swore just as a thought occurred to her. "Do you...not want to do this? Is that why you're so hesitant? I'm sorry. I guess I haven't really thought about that."

He shook his head. "No, I...I'm fine, Hales. I'm up for it if you are. If you really are. I just want to be sure that you really are."

"I am." She reassured, stepping closer to him while placing her hands on his forearms. "Okay?"

After a hesitant second, he nodded his agreement. "Okay. We'll do this."

She let out an excited squeal as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He chuckled, his body shaking slightly against his. She smiled widely.

"You have to proimse me..." He began, leaning back slightly so he could look at her, "...that you'll tell me if it becomes too much for you."

"I promise."

Haley smiled when he inched forward and planted a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes and hummed lightly. The feel of his lips against her skin sent a tingle down her spine. Butterflies, the good kind, fluttered around in her stomach.

"So, how do you wanna do this?" She asked him then, taking a small step back to put a little distance between them.

"Well, I don't have a game today." Nathan informed her as she nodded. "Perfect day to go public."

"Pretty convenient, huh?" She smirked. "It's like the Gods are on our side."

"You could say that." He grinned. "But, I do have practice in..." He glanced at the clock on her stove. "...an hour. So, here's what I'm thinking."

"What are you thinking?" She mocked playfully.

They chuckled.

"First, you come to practice with me." He began.

"And do what?" She quickly interjected. "Sit there and watch?"

He stared at her. "Lots of girlfriends and wives do that."

"Why?"

"What do you mean _why_?"

"I'm just saying...I just sit there and watch?" Haley questioned incredulously.

"Yes." Nathan replied and couldn't help but chuckle at the look on her face. "Hey, many girls would kill to be in your position."

"Do these many girls have no lives?" She muttered under her breath.

He cocked his head to the side. "Be nice."

"I'm always nice." She defended as he sent her a pointed look. She groaned dramatically. "Fine, I will go to your practice with you and do nothing but sit on my ass and watch a bunch of sweaty men run up and down a basketball court."

"If you're really lucky, we may even be shirtless." He winked, causing her to laugh. "So as I was saying...we go to my practice and then go out to lunch - really shove our relationship in the public's face. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan." She agreed.

"Okay, let's go." He said, clapping his hands together as he took a couple of steps out of the kitchen.

"Wait." Haley replied, halting his movements. "I'm gonna go change real quick."

Nathan glanced over her appearance: a navy blue henley sweater with a hood, some type of white undershirt, jeans, gray suede uggs; her hair was down and wavy. "Why?"

"Well, we're going out in hopes of being photographed." She stated simply.

"Yeah?" He said, confused.

She shrugged nervously, fidgetting with her fingers. "I just thought..."

"Haley," He started, stepping closer to her once more, "you're fine just the way you are."

"Don't you think I should...I don't know, dress a little more...like Carrie?" Haley asked him, feeling self-conscious.

"No, I don't." Nathan immediately replied. "I like you like this. It's the real you."

"Yeah, I'm sure the headlines will read that way." She responded sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "No, they'll all talk about Nathan Scott's simple, plain girlfriend which will be followed by how you could do so much better. How a girl like Carrie is more appropriate for a guy of your...caliber."

"Where did that come from?" He asked, staring imploringly into her big, brown eyes. "You're sounding like my parents."

"That's mean." She mumbled, shaking her head.

He shrugged impassively. "I meant it." He admitted unapologetically. "Why are you being so down on yourself?"

"I...I'm not." Haley stammered.

"You are." Nathan pressed. "I don't get it. Haley, you are beautiful in every way. The fashion show...my God, you looked breathtaking. And right now," he paused to allow his eyes to gaze over her form for emphasis, "gosh, Hales, you look just as breathtaking. You...you're perfect, Haley James." He complimented ernastly. "I wouldn't change a thing about you."

Haley felt her face heat up, a crimson blush invading her cheeks, as she smiled bashfully while biting down on her lower lip.

**OTHOTHOTH**

After driving roughly forty-five minutes up to Greenburgh, New York, Nathan pulled into the MSG Training Center parking lot. He maneuvered his SUV into an empty spot and shifted the gear into PARK before turning off the ignition. Stepping out, he dropped his keys into the right pocket of his sweatpants and then grabbed his gym bag that was sitting in the back seat. By the time he had it, Haley had also climbed out of the vehicle and already met him on the driver's side. Nathan smiled at her, asking if she's ready for this.

Haley returned the smile and nodded. "I am."

Securing the bag over his left shoulder, he linked his left hand together with her right one before leading her inside the building, towards the Knicks' practice arena. Most of his teammates were on the court shooting around; others were on the sidelines. Except for Devon Fox - the guy was always late.

"Yo, Nate!" An African American man exclaimed, strutting towards them with a broad grin. "What up, man?"

"Can't complain." Nathan replied as the two teammates pounded their fists together. He watched as the guy's eyes shifted to the petite brunette standing closely beside him. "Skills, this is Haley James. My girlfriend."

Once again, Haley blushed at the _girlfriend_ introduction.

"Haley James." Skills smirked. "I saw your picture in that magazine."

Embarrassed slightly, she blushed while nodding her head.

"My wife reads those things - likes the gossip." He informed her, winking.

"What better gossip is there than celebrity gossip?" She asked rhetorically.

They all laughed.

"Five more minutes and you'd be late, Nate!"

Haley looked past Skills at the voice and saw another black guy heading their way. Again, her _boyfriend_ bumped fists with the second guy as a way of greeting each other. Haley smiled when Nathan introduced her to him.

"Haley, this is Tony Battle."

"Hi." Haley replied, extending her hand towards the guy, and they shook hands. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Tony smirked, _discretely_ looking her up and down before letting out a deep yelp. He rubbed his upper arm where his teammate had punched him. "Damn, Nathan."

"I saw that." Nathan huffed, sending him a warning glare.

"You should consider it a compliment." Tony argued, still trying to rub the pain out of his arm, and then he shifted his eyes to the brunette once more. "You, too."

Nathan, again, punched his friend in the upper arm, in the same spot.

"Ow, Nate!" Tony exclaimed. "Quit it!"

"Keep your eyes off my girlfriend." Nathan warned.

"Fine. Whatever. Touchy much?" Tony mumbled and turned around before walking away without so much as a glance back. "See ya out there. It was nice to meet you, Haley."

Haley twisted her body so she was facing her neighbor. "Was that necessary?"

"It made my point." Nathan responded unapologetically, shrugging. "He doesn't need to be looking at what's mine."

"Technically," She began in a whisper, leaning forward, "I'm not really yours."

He leaned forward as well and whispered with a smirk, "He doesn't really know that."

Haley smiled when he winked at her and then closed her eyes as Nathan cupped her face in his hands and gently pulled her to him, kissing her forehead.

"So, you gonna be okay without me for a while?"

"Why?" She asked with a roll of her eyes. "Because I can't possibly be away from you for even a minute?"

"Smart ass." He muttered and laughed when she playfully backhanded him.

"Go." She urged with a wave of her hand. "Go...run up and down a court, and...get all sweaty."

"Yes, ma'am."

After he squeezed her hand, Haley watched as Nathan walked away from her and onto the basketball court. Then, she turned and headed over to the bleachers where she saw a blonde, fairly pregnant woman sitting. Haley smiled warmly.

"Hi." She greeted. "Can I sit with you?"

"Of course!" The blonde chirped.

Haley plopped down on the hard, wooden bench. "I'm Haley."

"Bevin." The girl replied. "I'm Skills' wife."

"I'm Nathan's..."

"Girlfriend." Bevin finished with a smirk. "I know. I saw that magazine."

Haley nodded, laughing. "Yes...the magazine."

"Can I just say that you looked amazing in those pictures!" Bevin gushed. "And you're even prettier in person."

"Oh, well, thank you." Haley blushed, tucking some hair behind her ears. "So, umm...how far along are you?"

Bevin glanced down at herself and placed her hands flat on her protruding stomach. "Six months."

"Do you know what you're having?"

"A girl."

"Aww! How sweet!" Haley cooed. "Is this your first?"

"Yup." Bevin nodded.

"Well, congratulations." Haley supplied.

"Thank you." Bevin said. "Now, I want to know all about the girl who nabbed the NBA's hottest bachelor."

Haley laughed as the girl arched an eyebrow. "There's not much to tell honestly."

"Well, what do you do?" Bevin asked, jump starting the conversation.

"Oh. I'm a senior at NYU." Haley answered and then expanded when the other girl asked what her major is. "English literature with a minor in psychology."

"What about after graduation? Do you know what you wanna do?"

"Actually, I applied for the graduate program - just waiting to hear if I've been accepted or not."

"That's fantastic!" Bevin praised sincerely. "Much more exciting than me. I'm a social worker. But then again, I am glad to be out of school. Wasn't my favorite time."

"I've always enjoyed school but even I'm growing tired of it." Haley admitted. "I just keep telling myself - three more months plus two more years. I can do this."

"You've come this far."

"Exactly." Haley responded as the two girls laughed. "Do you come to these practices often?"

"Bevin shook her head. "Only since I got knocked up. I'm all hormonal and...horny right now."

Haley let out a giggle at the girl's blunt admission.

"So, yeah, I really enjoy coming to these practices - nothing gets my motor running like watching my sexy husband out there on that court. I literally have to clench my thighs together when he takes his shirt off and I can see the glistening sweat on his naked skin. I just wanna lick it off."

"Okay." Haley said, wide-eyed.

"Sorry." Bevin apologized sheepishly. "I apparently have no filter when I'm pregnant."

"No, it's...more than fine." Haley reassured with a laugh. "At least you have the hots for your husband. You've gotta have passion in a marriage."

"I couldn't agree more." Bevin said.

At that very moment, a girl with long, brunette hair sauntered over to the bleachers. She was pretty and thin - wearing a black, spandex bra and a pair of black, spandex shorts. A diamond jewel dangled from her naval. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail. She stared at the petite brunette sitting with Bevin. Her staring turned into a cold glare as she reached for a gym bag, Knicks cheerleading on the outside, that was sitting in the crack between two bleacher rows.

"Hi, Teresa." Bevin greeted with a wave and obvious fake smile. "Have you met Haley? Nathan's girlfriend."

Teresa narrowed her eyes at _Haley_ before whipping around with a huff and practically stomping away.

Bevin laughed.

"Who was that?" Haley asked, curious about the girl's somewhat hostile attitude.

"That was Teresa." Bevin explained. "She's a cheerleader for the team. I used to cheer with her while I was finishing my degree."

"Is there a reason why she was giving me the stink eye?"

"Nathan slept with her a couple of years ago."

"Oh." Haley whispered while glancing down at her fingers which were now fidgeting with one another. "I see."

"Yup." Bevin said. "It was a one-time thing but Teresa thought it meant more to him. Girls are so naive and clueless sometimes."

"Yeah, well...maybe Nathan should refrain from sleeping with every girl that bats her eyelashes at him." Haley muttered with a quipped tone under her breath.

"Sorry." Bevin apologized, feeling guilty. "I shouldn't have..."

Haley shook her head softly, reprimanding herself for her irrational behavior. "No, it's okay. I'm just..."

"I get it." Bevin quickly interjected. "It's never fun to hear about your boyfriend's past...indescretions."

"You could say that." Haley said as the two girls laughed. "I was just...having a moment, you know."

"Oh, I know." Bevin replied. "We're women - we are known for our moments."

Haley laughed out loud, nodding her head in agreement. "Yes, we are."

Once his practice was finished, Nathan took a quick shower and then dressed in a white t-shirt, a charcoal gray fleece sweater, and a pair of medium-washed jeans. He ran a comb through his damp hair. He spritzed on a couple squirts of Armoni - Aqua Di Gio - it was the cologne he wore to the fashion show; he knew Haley liked it. All of his teammates but three were already gone, having chosen to take showers in their own homes. Skills, however, was most likely going straight home to "sex up" his wife as the guy so eloquently put it; apparently, a pregnant Bevin is a horny Bevin. Nathan laughed out loud as he recalled that conversation.

Smugly satisfied with his appearance, Nathan exited from the locker room and made his way back out to the practice court where Haley was still patiently waiting. She was no longer sitting on the bleachers, though; now, she was standing and leaning against one of the walls. She smiled broadly when she noticed him. Nathan smiled, too - he really loved her smile.

"Nice practice." She said, walking to meet him half way. "It looked...tiring. I don't know how you do this practically every day."

"It's why I'm in such amazing shape." He replied with a smirk, and then he grinned widely as she shook her head and tossed it back while laughing. "Seriously, though, it's what I love. That's how I do it everyday."

Haley smiled at his sincere response. It is obvious to anyone who watches him play on the court, any court, that Nathan is living his dream. He isn't in this just for the outrageously, over-the-top money that comes along with the career - he genuinely loves the game. She can always see the passion on his face, even when he is simply holding a basketball. Sports may not be her "thing" but Haley would watch every game as long as Nathan was playing.

"You cleaned up nicely." She complimented as she stepped closer to him and fingered the zipper on his sweater, fixing it. "Then again, you always do."

"So do you." He returned.

More of the earlier butterflies began to swarm around in her stomach at the way he was staring at her.

"You hungry?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Famished."

"Let's go."

The two of them walked out of the MSG Training Center and to the black SUV that was still sitting in the same parking spot. After another forty-five minute drive, they were once again entering Manhattan. Strategically, they chose to park a few blocks away from their chosen place to eat so they had to walk a further distance. They could only hope that some paparazzi would be lurking around, scouting for a story.

Nathan and Haley, hand in hand, shuffled along the somewhat crowded sidewalk. They were all smiles and sharing the occasional glance at one another mixed with a few casual yet slightly more than friendly touches. This little "show" of theirs was so much easier for them given their close friendship. They still have a lot of stuff to talk through but neither of them were really worried or stressed over it. Rounding a couner, Nathan and Haley only had a few more feet to take before they arrived at Lugo Caffe.

A young, cute but very gay, man greeted them upon their entrance. His smile was infectious, causing them both to smile even wider than they already were. Thankfully, there was no wait and he was able to seat them right away. He led the couple to a fairly desolate section of the restaurant - close enough to be seen by other diners but private enough so they could discuss their "situation". Once the couple was seated, the maitre d' handed them their menus and reassured them that their waiter would be along shortly.

Jackson, their waiter, arrived two minutes later. He was just as friendly and cute as the other young man was, but this guy didn't exactly scream "GAY" to them. They both ordered a glass of Chardonney and then continued to scan through the menus. Jackson returned with their drinks and was pleased to hear that they knew what they wanted: the skirt steak tagliata for Nathan and the spaghetti pomadora for Haley as well as a small Caesar salad for them both. Taking the menus, Jackson smiled once more before leaving them alone.

"So..." Haley drawled out as her fingers ran along the wine glass, collecting a thin layer of condensation that had already formed from the chilled liquor inside. Glancing up, she saw that Nathan's eyes were on her, waiting for her to continue. "I was just thinking...there are probably some things we should talk about."

'Now you wanna talk about things?" Nathan questioned, amused. "You didn't seem inclined to do that earlier. You were ready to jump right on in."

She shook her head. "No, I don't mean that."

"Okay. What do you mean?"

"Well, we've already started this. The practice, the holding hands but...what happens next?" She asked and could tell he was a little confused with where she was going with this. "If we're gonna do this, make it work...we have to make it look real. We can't surprise each other or..."

"Surprise each other?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Well...what's allowed and not allowed? Like...kissing, for example?"

"Kissing?"

"What if we have to kiss?" She asked, explaining. "Couples kiss, Nathan. We have to make it look natural - not unexpected or awkward."

"There's a simple solution to that." He said after a moment's breath.

"And what's that?"

Nathan smirked before quietly scooting back his chair. He stood and closed the distance between them and then leaned down, laying his lips softly over hers. He didn't move his lips - it was just a light brush of his lips really. It was enough, though, to shoot sparks through them both. Nathan pulled back slightly so he could look her in the eyes.

"That's a start." He whispered. "Practice makes prefect. Isn't that the saying?"

Haley licked her lips and smiled, nodding. "I think so."

"A few more kisses like that...well, maybe a little more tongue next time..." He said, causing her to laugh. He watched as she blushed and glanced down while biting her lower lip. "...and we should be good to go."

A quiet throat-clearing stole their attention. They followed the sound and saw that their waiter had returned with their salads.

"I apologize for the interruption." Jacksion said, feeling appropriately embarrassed.

"It's okay." Nathan reassured with a smile as he straightened himself and sat back down in his chair. "It's hard to keep my lips to myself. I mean, can you blame me really?"

"Nathan!" Haley chided, blushing wildly.

"No, sir, I don't suppose I can." Jackson replied with a small laugh.

Nathan locked eyes with Haley - he sent her a cocky "I told you so" kind of look. She bit down on her lower lip and quickly averted eye contact with him. He observed her closely as she picked up her glass and took a long sip of the wine inside. Nathan laughed at her humiliation as their waiter set the dishes down on the table.

"I'll be back shortly with your main courses." Jackson told them as they thanked him. He smiled before dashing away from the table.

"Now, was there anything else you wish to discuss with me, Miss James?" Nathan asked, picking up his fork while jabbing it into the lettuce on his plate.

Haley narrowed her eyes at him. "There is, in fact." She answered tightly.

"By all means - discuss away." He encouraged her, smirking widely. "Or...we could just get out of here and start practicing on that kissing."

She shook her head when he winked at her. "Actually, we should probably talk about...sex." She sputtered nervously.

Nathan nearly choked on the lettuce that was in his mouth. Coughing a couple of times, he swallowed his bites and looked at her. "Wha...what do you mean?"

Haley couldn't help the pleasure she felt at being the one to catch him off guard. So often, it was him doing that to her and taking great joy in it. Now, she had the chance to make him squirm a little bit. It turns out Nathan isn't so cocky and confident when the tables have turned. Haley grinned.

"Sex...what about sex?" He asked.

"I'm not talking about sex between us, Nathan." She told him. "I'm talking about your sex with other women."

"I don't know what you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Nathan."

"We aren't going to talk about that." He said, dropping his fork before picking up his wine glass and taking a drink.

"Nathan, we have to." Haley argued. "It won't help your image if you...well, cheat on me."

"Cheat on you?" Nathan repeated, staring incredulously at her. "Haley, I would never cheat on you."

"It technically wouldn't be cheating, you know. We aren't actually together. This is all pretend."

Nathan couldn't explain why that reminder was like a stab to his heart. Even more so than her thinking that he could ever cheat on her. Sure, they may only be doing this as a _ruse_ but he is still taking it seriously. In a way, he could understand why she might assume he would be with other women as well considering his past. A past he has never bothered to hide or lie about. But, Nathan would never do that to Haley. _Not her._

"You don't have to worry about that, Haley." He assured her softly. "Until we...break up, there will be nobody else but you. I promise."

Haley stared at him trying to gauge if he was being honest or not. She truthfully felt he was - she has no reason to doubt him either as he has never been anything but upfront about his life. Things are just kind of different now. They are both willingly jumping into a...relationship with each other. In a way, they are crossing a line. It doesn't matter if it's a ruse or not - the line was crossed as soon as they agreed to do this. Haley just wants to make sure their friendship will remain in tact.

"Okay." She replied with a smile. Things had taken kind of a more serious route - she wanted things to be light-hearted. She looked at him with a smirk. "So, you think you can really hold out on the sex for a few months?"

"You don't think I can?" Nathan questioned, both amused and bemused.

She shook her head and grinned. "I think it'll be a huge challenge for you."

"I've been doing it for the past three months." He pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, you have." She nodded. "But...add six more months to that."

"I can hold out." He assured her, confident.

"Okay." She shrugged. "Whatever you say."

Their waiter chose that moment to return to their table. After clearing some space on the surface, he placed their hot dishes down in front of the young couple.

"Enjoy." Jackson encouraged with a smile and then left them.

Their means smell delectable.

Haley immediately used her fork to pick up some of her pasta noodles before all but thrusting it into her mouth. She closed her eyes and moaned. _Delicious!_ She savored the food swirling around inside her mouth. Swallowing, Haley glanced up and found Nathan staring at her with eyes twinkling with amusement.

Nathan smirked widely and asked, "And what about you?"

Haley snorted and, between chewing, replied, "That probably won't be an issue for me."

"Why's that?"

"Well, there aren't too many guys coming in and out of my door."

Nathan chuckled. "Exactly how long has it been for you, Hales?"

"A long time." Haley stated vaguely as he sent her a pointed look. She conceded, "Four years."

"Are you serious?" He asked, surprised. She nodded. "Wow. That's..."

"It's fine." She quickly dismissed with a laugh. "I'm not...I don't sleep with guys I've just met. It takes a while for me to get to that point with someone to be honest."

"And in four years, you haven't come at all close?"

"Nope." She answered and then laughed again. "I haven't even been on a date in more than two years."

"I find that hard to believe." He argued.

"Why is that?"

"Have you looked in a mirror, Haley?" Nathan remarked, his eyes gazing intently at her.

Haley blushed, smiling shyly as she tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Don't tell me you haven't had any offers." He continued to prod.

"A few." She said with a shrug. "None that I've really been interested in, though. It doesn't help that the last guy I did go out with was a complete jerk."

"Yeah?"

"God, he was so full of himself." She began to explain, groaning at the memories. "Cocky and arrogant. And yeah, he was cute but there's nothing more annoying than a guy who is good-looking and knows it."

"So, you find me annoying?"

"No." Haley replied instantly, shaking her head adamantly. "This guy was...you don't even come close to how he was, Nathan."

"Who was he? Someone from school?" Nathan inquired.

"No. It was a blind date. A friend of mind, her boyfriend set us up actually. They work together at the same law firm." She answered and then added with a tone full of disgust, "Damien West."

"Wait, what?" Nathan asked suddenly, his ears perking up at that name as he stared at his neighbor.

Haley's forehead wrinkled in confusion at his reaction. "Damien West." She repeated. "You know him?"

"Yeah, I do." He practically growled. "How in the hell did a girl like you get involved in a relationship with a guy like Damien West?"

"First of all, it wasn't a relationship. It was one date - a blind date from hell." She corrected with great emphasis. "And, what do you mean 'a girl like me'?"

He was caught off guard by the anger laced in her voice. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"Then what did you mean?" She asked tightly, crossing her arms.

"I just meant...Damien is a complete jerk, Hales." He explained. "He...you...he is not right for you, and you deserve so much better than that guy."

Haley smiled at his words, allowing whatever anger she had to disintegrate. "How do you even know him?"

Nathan was relieved that she no longer seemed to be upset with him and answered her question. "We went to the same basketball camp nine years ago. High Flyers. Instantly, we hated each other. He was such a cocky son of a bitch."

"And you weren't?" She challenged good-naturedly.

"I was." He admitted, sending her a pointed, albeit playful, glare. "Damien was just...he was only there for himself. I was there for myself, too - won't lie about that. But...basketball is also a team sport, and I cared about my team. That was a huge difference between me and him. Probably a reason why I made it and he didn't."

She nodded in understanding, knowing that he wasn't being cocky or full of himself with that last statement.

"I can't believe you went out with that guy." He then muttered, internally seething, as he shook his head.

"Nothing happened." She reiterated. "The date was...unbearable."

"Still, just the thought of you with..." His words died in his throat as unwanted images of Damien and Haley together formed in his mind.

She eyed him and couldn't help the grin that stretched out from her lips. "Is that a hint of jealousy I'm detecting, Nathan Scott?"

"What? No, of course not." He replied, blushing as he looked at her. "Fine. Maybe...a little bit. I just...really hate that guy is all. Just thinking about him makes me angry."

The grin Haley was sporting faded away with his words. She couldn't deny the disappointment that coursed through her. A part of her wanted to believe that he was actually jealous because of her and her only - not because of his strong dislike for Damien.

* * *

><p>The next day, Haley found herself cleaning her apartment from top to bottom. It was her spring cleaning day - just a couple of months early. She felt restless. It was Sunday, and she had nothing to do. She didn't even have to work tonight - she had a rare weekend off which wasn't exactly welcoming at this very moment; she really wanted to work, not only for the money but because of how bored she was. Haley was someone who usually liked the downtime - she would cuddle up on the couch with a book that was a real page-turner.<p>

Today, unfortunately, was not one of those days.

Right now, Haley was keeping herself busy by sorting through the contents that were inside the refrigerator after having cleaned it from top to bottom. Her headphones were in her ears while The Wreckers sang out on her iPod. The light from her cell phone caught her attention, and Haley saw there was an incoming call.

_Lydia James_

"Hey, Mom." She greeted after yanking the headphones from her ears and tapping on the SEND button. She tried mustering up as much enthusiasm as she could while she tried hard to prepare herself mentally for these next few minutes of wedding and boy talk. How's it going down there in Tree Hill?"

"It's wonderful!" Lydia chirped happily. "Your sister and I picked out a caterer and a photographer. Quinn finally settled on some final color choices so we are ready to start with some of the decor. Vivian, to her relief, is not pregnant like she was suspecting. Your brothers made it back home safely from their camping trip. Oh, and I saw something particularly interesting this morning."

"Yeah?" Haley questioned, slightly distracted as she started to put away the items in the refrigerator. "What was it?"

"Well, you see...I went grocery shopping last night and came across a little magazine. You know, one of those celebrity gossip magazines."

Haley inwardly groaned at her mother's "subtle" hinting.

"When were you going to tell us that have a boyfriend, Haley James?" Lydia asked in an accusatory tone.

Even though she was being somewhat scolded like a child, Haley could still hear the excitement pouring out of her mother's tone.

Seconds turned into a minute with no response.

"Haley Bob, say something!" Lydia shrieked.

"Sorry I didn't say anything right away." Haley apologized. "This is still news for me, and Nathan and I...we're just trying to adjust to the relationship ourselves. It's hard to...do that sometimes when the media is always around. But, yes, Mom, he is my boyfriend."

"Honey, that boy is...no ordinary boyfriend." Lydia stated with a laugh.

"No, he is not." Haley replied, laughing as well.

"He is certainly a hottis, isn't he?"

"Mom!" Haley reproached.

"What, Bob?" Lydia shrugged. "I have eyes."

"It's just weird...hearing you say that." Haley muttered.

"Well, he is." The older woman proclaimed.

"So, you approve then?" Haley questioned, crossing her fingers and praying for the answer she desperately wanted to hear. After all, her mother's approval is one of the reasons for actually going through with this whole thing.

"Absolutely!" Lydia exclaimed. "He's coming with you to your sister's wedding, I presume?"

Haley snorted with amusement. "Yes, Mom."

"Oh! I can't wait to meet him!" Lydia squealed. "This is so exciting!"

Haley smiled at her mother's overenthusiasm. A part of her felt some guilt, though. She didn't necessarily enjoy deceiving her mother, or anyone else for that matter. But, Haley also felt driven to do this. Her mother was so pushy, and yeah, it was all out of love..._yadda yadda yadda_. It was still hard to listen to, though. And, Haley really enjoyed hearing her mother sound so happy and hopeful.

"Now your father..." Lydia continued, "...that's kind of a different story. Don't get me wrong and don't you worry - he's fine. Jimmy is just feeling over-protective. It isn't every day that you see your baby gil on the cover of a magazine with...well, a basketball player who looks like that. Plus, your dad is feeling a little sentimental over his youngest daughter growing up."

Haley smiled as tears filled her eyes.

A hard, loud knock sounded at the door, echoing throughout the apartment.

"Hey, Mom, I have to go." Haley whipped her head to look at her door. "There's someone at my door."

"Nathan?"

"I don't know - I'm talking to you instead of answering it."

"Sarcasm, Bob - you really need to watch it." Lydia chastised teasingly.

Haley laughed while obediently saying, "Yes, Mother."

Another knock - even louder and harder.

"Whoever it is, it must be important. Good grief, I can hear the knocking through the phone." Lydia said. "I'll talk to you later, sweetie. I'm so happy for you, Haley!"

"Thanks, Mom." Haley replied, smiling.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Haley pressed the END button on her cell phone and placed the device on one of the end table as she walked through the living room. She yelled that she was coming when the person pounded on the door; she was quickly losing her patience with whoever was standing on the opposite side of that door. Haley swung open the door and found herself staring straight into the eyes of a very irate-looking Dan Scott.

"Mr. Scott." She greeted evenly and hoped desperately that her voice wasn't actually as shaky as it sounded. She was just so caught off guard at seeing him standing there.

"Miss James." He replied smoothly.

Haley felt a chill shoot down her spine at the menacing look he was hitting her with.

"I think you and I need to have a chat." Dan said, stepping into the apartment and pushing past the young woman.

"Sure, come right in." Haley muttered sarcastically while rolling her eyes and then turned to face him. "With all due respect, Mr. Scott, I don't think you and I have anything to talk about. If you have any...concerns then you should go have a chat with your son."

"Oh, no, I'd rather talk to you." He countered as he walked towards her kitchen. "Do you have any coffee?"

"No." She answered immediately, following him. "I don't drink coffee."

"Water, then?" He asked, glancing back at her.

She said nothing - not like it would matter anyway as he was already opening her newly cleaned refrigertor.

He reached inside and grabbed a bottle of water. Slowly, he twisted the cap off and sucked back more than half of the cold liquid inside. "Aww...that's refreshing." She commented, looking at the young woman who was standing at the kitchen's opening.

"What do you want, Mr. Scott?" Haley asked, crossing her arms.

"What do I want?" Dan replied, mocking her slightly. "Well, that's kind of a loaded question, Miss James. There are a lot of things I want: the health and wealth of my family to continue to flourish, my company to expand, even world peace in a way..."

"Would you get to the point?" She quipped impatiently, fed up with this little game he was playing. She wanted him gone.

He stared at her, a sinister smile growing on his lips. "It's quite simple really. I want you out of my son's life."

That was a given - she already suspected that was the man's reason for this unexpected, uninvited visit.

"I would say that's your son's decision, isn't it?" She countered, not wanting to wilt under his intimidation.

"No, it is completely yours." Dan contended. "You do realize what you are, don't you?"

"Let me guess," Haley began with a sigh, "a gold digger?"

He smirked - the girl has spunk, he'll give her that. But, he wasn't about to let her think she has any kind of upper hand here, because she doesn't. "No. You're just a pawn in a little game Nathan is playing with my wife and me."

She simply stared at him, letting him say what he _needed_ to say. There was no stopping him, and she really had no desire to argue with this man - a man who she has met and talked to once. It was very clear that he disliked her and thought very little of her. She just doesn't understand why.

"Nathan knows that we don't approve of you. Our son has a talent other than basketball. You see, he has always gotten a kick out of defying us. Ever since he was a little boy. This situation isn't any different." He stepped closer to her, trying to intimidate her. "Don't you get it? Nathan is using you. Sure, he may actually like you as a friend on some level but beyond that...sorry, sweetie, but you mean nothing."

"Don't call me sweetie." She ground out, glaring at him. Internally, she cringed at the sardonic laugh he expelled. "Mr. Scott, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing, _sweetie_." He taunted.

"Why do you disapprove of me?" Haley asked him, sincerely wanting to know his answer. "You don't really know me."

"I know enough about you, little girl." Dan replied. "My son comes from a family with standards. A family with a very wealthy background. Plus, as I know you're already aware of, Nathan is worth...a lot of money. Your five million dollars doesn't even come close to half of what his net worth is."

"I don't care about Nathan's money, Mr. Scott." She told him honestly.

"Of course you do." He argued with a laugh as she narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not naive, little girl. I'm a businessman, a very succesful and very smart businessman."

Haley stared at him, determined not to break even though she could feet the tears that were threatening to form. They wouldn't, though - she wouldn't let them fall. Haley will not give this man the satisfaction of knowing that his words were starting to affect her.

"You...you're nothing! Don't you get that?" Dan sneered, invading her personal space and getting right in front of her face. "My son is so far out of your league, and I will not stand idly by and watch as he throws his life away over someone like you. I won't. You can count on that!"

"Get the hell out!"

Dan and Haley both turned to find Nathan standing in the doorway of the apartment. He was dressed in a solid gray t-shirt and some back, polyester shorts. His hair was disheveled. He looked exhausted - practice obviously took quite a bit out of Nathan today.

"Nathan." Dan greeted, plastering on a smile, as he strode closer to his son. He stopped short, though, when the young man barreled inside. He wasn't sure he has ever seen Nathan look as angry as he looked at this very moment. "Son, I was just..."

Haley jumped when Nathan stormed into her apartment. His gym bag fell to the floor with a _thump_. She watched as he pushed on his father's chest, roughly backing the man into the wall behind them. Nathan was beyond angry - she has never seen him like this. For a fleeting moment, Haley actually felt bad for Dan...that was until she remembered the guy's abhorrent behavior towards her just seconds prior.

"Get out before I physically throw you out!" Nathan warned, staring at his father and daring the man to say even one word.

After a couple of stunned to silence seconds, Dan nodded and reluctantly left.

Nathan was seething as he stared at his father's retreating form. He moved rapidly to the door and slammed it shut, causing Haley to flinch at the loud, echoing noise. Placing his hands on his hips, he began to pace back and forth in front of the closed door. Nathan couldn't believe his father - the man has absolutely no boundaries.

"So...is my door a magnetic pull for all the lunatics in Manhattan or something?" Haley joked, cutting the silence, hoping to alleviate some of the tension.

Nathan finally halted mid-stride in his pace, remembering Haley's presence. "Hales, I am...so sorry." He apologized and rushed over to her. "I'll tell him the truth. Or we can put a stop to this altogether. You shouldn't have to go through this - the media and my family, it's..."

"Nathan, stop." She interrupted him. "It's okay. I'm okay."

"I heard what my dad said to you, Haley." He said, his tone low as he tried to control the anger he still felt. "And, I don't want you to feel pressured. We don't have to go through with this."

"I don't feel pressured, Nathan." She was quick to reassure him. "And as I've already said, many times...this thing we're doing is as much for my benefit as it is yours. I have a crazy family, too. Just...a little less hostile and mean."

They both laughed.

'So...you don't want to end this?" He asked her, actually hoping she will say she doesn't.

"Nope. Unless you do." She responded. He shook his head. "Okay then. We keep this going. I can handle your dad, Nathan, and if I can't...then I'll come crying to you about it."

"And I will beat him if that happens." He promised.

"All right. I'm gonna hold you to that." Haley smiled. "We're in this together, right?"

"Yes." Nathan agreed. "We are in this together."

**There you go. Please let me know what you think.**

**I hope to have another update for you guys sooner - it SHOULD NOT be as long a wait as it was for this one. ;)**

**Have a great day!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**I'm back with another update. This is kind of another filler chapter - shorter, too. I'll be honest - I'm not too happy with the way this chapter turned out. I've been working on it all week to try to make it better but finally gave up today. It's horrible as an author to admit but I didn't exactly have the excitement in writing this chapter. I thought about cutting it out all together but I feel like it's a "needed" filler chapter for some reason. ****I hope you guys still enjoy it. :)**

**I just wanted to take the time to thank you guys for your beautiful words and support. I do deeply appreciate it, as does my family. It's been a rough time but I'm a believer in things happen for a reason. I do believe in God and his love will get me and my family through this. It's been hard but day by day it is getting better. So, thank you for your kindness.**

**As always, thank you so much to deb025, saderia, naleyhumor, NaleyWriter23, thibbs65, rocklesson86, kalbri01, othfangirl, ****NALEYAAF23, NALEY23alwaysforever, Laura - 94, Laura - HBJHOTH23 (chapters 1-7), SPNALEY, 2naley, ScRuPuLoUs, VicksPuff, and all the guests for your lovely reviews. It cannot be said enough - you guys are awesome! Also, thank you for all the story/author alerts I have received and continue to receive for this story.**

**Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with _One Tree Hill_ or the New York Knicks. I also have no affiliation with Gramercy Tavern.**

_February 14, 2013_

As soon as her second class ended, Haley made her way to the Weinstein Food Court. She was starving, having only had an apple this morning as she was running late and had no time to eat anything else. That apple was devoured five hours ago - now, she needed something with more substance if she was going to make it through two more classes today. Haley opted for a lighter lunch consisting of a chef salad and water since she will be enjoying a much heavier meal tonight.

Haley paid for her meal and could feel the stares. News broke about her relationship with Nathan three days ago; she hasn't been at the university since then. But it was Monday which meant classes were back in session. Before, she was almost invisible - not in a bad way by any means but in a way that Haley felt comfortable with. She has the friends she has and wants, and she doesn't need all the extra love and attention. As soon as she walked through the doors of her first class, Haley heard all the whispers - mostly from other girls. Some were even bold enough to confront her personally, wanting to hear any details she chose to share. Haley chose to keep things short by simply confirming her relationshp with Nathan and leaving it at that.

Leaving the building, Haley found an empty bench in the small, enclosed courtyard. It was a relatively nice day today - there were a few patches of snow on the ground and a very light breeze but the sun was out. The temperature was fifty-five degrees. Her sweater was all that she needed to keep warm today. After taking a sip of water, Haley began to dig into her salad which was filling and incredibly refreshing.

Three minutes later, an arm stretched around her, startling her. Whoever was standing behind her placed a wrapped Hershey's kiss on the table and also planted a quick kiss on her cheek, causing her to laugh.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my love!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Haley smiled instantly and watched as the tall brunette plopped down beside her on the bench.

_Lindsey Strauss_

Lindsey was Haley's first friend when moving to New York City. The two girls met when they were assigned to be roommates during their freshmen year at NYU; their closeness led to them wanting to continue being roommates during their sophomore year as well. Their living together ended right before their junior year, though, when Lindsey had decided to move in with her boyfriend, Julian Baker. That was the same time Haley had gained access to her trust fun so, while she knew she would miss her dear friend greatly, she was not worried about finding an affordable apartment in a nice, safe part of Manhattan.

Lindsey is an academic scholar like Haley. Come this May, she will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in literature and already has some career prospects. Plenum Publishing has offered her a junior editor position following graduation, and she has even been spending the past six months interning there. One of the things Haley loves most about Lindsey is her love for reading. It is a passion they share and can spend countless hours discussing books.

"Hey, Linds!" Haley chirped happily. "Happy Valentine's Day to you."

"So tell me something, Haley James." Lindsey began, smiling a little too sweetly at her friend. "How come one of my best friends, not to mention old roommate, is dating one of the NBA's hottest players and I have to find out about it on the news?"

"Sorry." Haley apologized bashfully.

"Nope." Lindsey replied, shaking her head adamantly. "That's not good enough. You're holding out on me. I want details, girly! I deserve details. Starting with, how in the hell did you even meet Nathan Scott?"

"He's my neighbor."

"Shut up!"

Haley laughed at her friend's wide-eyed reaction. "I'm pretty sure I've told you that before, Lindsey."

"Umm, I think I would have remembered that, my dear." Lindsey argued with a playful scoff. "And if you had, don't you think I would have been coming over to your place more frequently?"

"You do remember you have a boyfriend, don't you?" Haley reminded the brunette with raised eyebrows.

Lindsey waved her hand, puffing out a breath. "Please, Haley. Even Julian would agree with me right now. It's Nathan Scott for heaven's sake."

"Since when does Julian like basketball? Or any sports for that matter?" Haley inquired, amused.

"He doesn't." Lindsey reaffirmed what her friend already knew. "But, his eyes work and he can see how good-looking another man is."

"So, he's okay with you ogling other men?"

Lindsey shrugged impassively. "Probably not but he certainly can't blame me. Your boyfriend is unfairly hot, Haley."

"Won't disagree with you there." Haley smirked. "And he's all mine."

"I hate you." Lindsey remarked, sticking out her tongue playfully, causing her friend to laugh. "So do I get to meet this new boyfriend of yours? Who you've never mentioned. Who is super fine. Who just happens to be rich and famous."

"I don't know if I really want you to right now." Haley admitted, teasing. "You'll probably just embarrass me."

"You do know who your parents are, don't you?" Lindsey asked rhetorically. "Has Nathan met them yet?"

"No." Haley sighed. "But he will soon enough."

"This is why I have to meet him, Haley. As your friend, someone who knows exactly how your parents...and by parents, I mean your mother...can be, I can warn him."

"I have warned him. Many times." Haley said. "But Nathan insists he'll be fine. Besides, my parents are like saints compared to his."

"You've met them?" Lindsey questioned, reaching over to pick up her friend's fork before stabbing it into a big chunk of lettuce and then brought it to her mouth.

"I have." Haley answered before adding quietly. "They're...not very nice people. They hate me."

"What?!" Lindsey practically shouted, attracting a few stares from other students. "How could they possibly hate you? You're...Haley James. You're so sweet and friendly. Not to mention gorgeous! They should be in love with you and thanking God that their son found someone like you. Heck, I'm in love with you."

"Aww, Linds, I had no idea you felt that way about me." Haley joked, grinning.

"Stop." Lindsey ordered, shoving her friend as they both laughed. "But seriously, they really don't like you?" She asked in disbelief as Haley shook her head. Under her breath she mumbled, "Snooty, rich bitches."

Haley laughed at her friend's words.

"Well, they don't know what they're missing. You, Haley James, are smart, beautiful, talented, kind, and so much more. Don't worry about what a bunch of stuck-up millionaires think about you."

"I'm trying not to." Haley replied. "It's just hard...with Nathan and me, you know. I also feel bad."

"Why?"

Haley shrugged. "Like I'm coming between Nathan and his family. I mean, Nathan told me that he has always had a difficult relationship with his parents but..."

"Then trust him." Lindsey interjected, staring imploringly at her friend.

"I do trust him." Haley said emphatically. "But I still feel bad. I'm not going to end things with Nathan just because they don't like me but...I don't like this situation. I'm not used to it because..."

"Because everyone always loves you." Lindsey finished with a smirk.

"That's not what I meant." Haley quickly defended herself.

"I know." Lindsey reassured. "It's still true regardless. That's who you are, Haley. Don't feel bad about that."

Haley smiled when her friend reached over and squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Lindsey."

"By the way, you looked so amazing in those pictures." Lindsey complimented and smiled at the blush creeping up onto her friend's cheeks. "I have to say, I was blown away when I saw you and Nathan on that episode of _Extra_."

"Wait, the television show?" Haley asked, confused as she stared inquisitively at the other girl. "It was on tv? I thought...it was just the magazine."

Lindsey shook her head. "No, I saw everything late last night. _Extra_ was on...you know, that show with Mario Lopez."

"Yes, I know what show you're talking about!" Haley bit out and then sent her friend an apologetic glance. "Sorry, I just...didn't know about the show."

"It's okay." Lindsey shrugged it off easily. "Yeah. It wasn't bad - very entertaining actually, which makes sense considering it's a celebrity entertainment kind of show." She laughed and then paused in her rambling when she saw the look her friend was sending her. "Anyway, there were pictures of you and Nathan - quite a few in fact. And don't worry, like I said, you looked fabulous in them all."

"Thanks, Linds." Haley laughed.

"They showed a clip of this blonde guy talking about you and Nathan."

"That would be Clay, Nathan's agent." Haley informed the brunette.

"Makes sense." Lindsey stated before continuing. "He sounded like an agent honestly. Very professional and very to-the-point. He basically just confirmed your relationship."

Haley simply nodded, not knowing what else to really say. "So, do you and Julian have any plans for tonight?" She asked, changing the subject after a few seconds. She smiled brightly at her friend while raising an eyebrow. "It is the most romantic night of the year."

Lindsey smiled and nodded. "We don't have any plans to go out somewhere but we do have plans to just stay in." She answered before expanding. "You know...dinner and a movie, in candlelight. Maybe a little...bow chicka bow wow!"

The two girls fell into a fit of hysterics.

"More than wanted to know but..." Haley said through her laughter, "...I'm happy for you."

Lindsey wiggled her eyebrows and forehead playfully. "How about you and your boy? Any plans tonight?"

"We're just having dinner with Nathan's cousins." Haley answered and then decided to make her friend even more jealous. "You might know them - Lucas and Brooke Scott."

"Are you serious?" Lindsey replied, her mouth dropping open. She was absolutely starstruck right now - not only does she love the Clothes Over Bros line by Brooke but, as an aspiring editor, she has also read all of Lucas's published books. "Can I come? I don't have to eat anything - I'll just sit there quietly and stare at them all."

"So...make them uncomfortable then?"

"Exactly."

The girls laughed again.

**OTHOTHOTH**

Holding onto his hand, Haley followed Nathan into Gramercy Tavern. There was another couple in front of them talking with the hostess so they stood back and waited patiently. The restaurant was a popular place tonight as the door opened and two more couples strolled inside, not to mention the crowded dining area. Haley took the time to take a glimpse around the restaurant's interior. Gramercy Tavern is an upscale American restaurant. The room had a wonderful ambiance to it; it was dimply lit, creating a very romantic and intimate atmosphere which was perfect for tonight's holiday. Haley smiled contentedly and closed her eyes as she leaned into Nathan's side.

He glanced down at her. "You're not falling asleep on me, are you?"

She answered by simply shaking her head.

Nathan smiled before placing a soft, delicate kiss on her forehead. The couple in front of them were escorted away and it was now their turn. He led Haley up to the lectern that was sitting in the center of the long foyer. A young woman, most likely in her mid-to-late-twenties, with beautifully pale features and sleek, black, shoulder-length hair, was facing them with a wide smile. Nathan immediately returned her infectious smile.

"Good evening." She greeted warmly. "Welcome to Gramercy Tavern."

"Hello."  
>"Hi."<p>

Both Nathan and Haley greeted simultaneously.

"We have a reservation for 8:00." Nathan informed the hostess. "Under Scott."

The young woman skimmed through the little booklet sitting on the lectern quickly and nodded. "Yes, there you are." She chirped, looking back up at the couple. "It's a party of four, correct?"

"Yes, it is." He answered. "I don't think the other two have arrived yet."

"No, sir, they have not." She confirmed. "Your table is ready. We can go ahead and seat you now or you can wait for them to arrive if you'd like."

"Let's sit down." Haley immediately suggested, staring pleadingly up at Nathan.

"Your feet?" He deduced and chuckled when she nodded her head rapidly. He then shifted his attention back to the hostess. "We'd like to be seated now please."

"Sure thing." The girl laughed and gestured to another girl who suddenly appeared. "Melissa, your waitress for the evening, will escort you to your table. Enjoy your night."

Nathan nodded at her.

"Thank you so much." Haley said, sharing a smile with the hostess.

Melissa led them to a table in the center of the dining area.

Haley tried hard to ignore the occasional stares and even whispers from some of the other diners. She really should be used to it considering the stares and whispers she received today at the university; that's precisely why it was hard to do so, though - she has been dealing with it all day. Arriving at their table, Haley smiled and thanked Nathan after he pulled out her chair.

"May I start you out with some drinks?" Melissa asked, handing them a couple of menus.

Even though the question was asked to them both, Haley noticed the girl's eyes were glued to Nathan._ What is that? __Yes, it's Nathan Scott. Yes, he's ridiculously hot. Yes, he's a rich celebrity. But the staring is not necessary or appropriate, especially with me sitting here._ Haley rolled her eyes and wanted to scream out, "_Have some respect and decency!"_

"I think we'll just have some water while we wait for the rest of our party." Haley spoke with a twinge of acrimony laced in her tone.

Melissa cut her eyes, finally, towards the petite brunette and forced the most sincere smile she could muster up. "Of course." She replied briskly before walking away.

"Her tip is gonna be significantly decreased." Haley mumbled.

Nathan chuckled. "I am kind of digging your jealous side, Haley James."

"It's not jealousy - it's irritation." She corrected, whipping her head to look at him. She ignored the amused twinkle in his eyes. "Don't give me that look, Nathan. I just think it's so rude. I'm sitting right here. I'm your girlfriend. You know...as far as she knows. And for her to just...blatantly undress you with her eyes is so disrespectful to me."

"Just ignore it."

"I should." She agreed with a shrug. "We both know what girls like her are really like anyway."

"Damn, Hales." Nathan laughed. "Tell me how you really feel."

Haley glared at him.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly as he placed his left hand on her exposed back.

Realizing how ridiculous she's being, she sighed. "Yeah, I'm just tired."

"Do you want me to take you home?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I promise." She told him truthfully.

Their waitress returned with a couple of wine glasses full of ice water. She was either fairly busy or actually felt a little intimidated by the petite brunette as she dropped off the beverages and walked away - no small talk and no eye raping of the basketball superstar.

Nathan watched Haley as she took a sip of her water. Not surprisingly, she looked beautiful tonight. She was wearing a dress that looked more like a form-fitted shirt and skirt. The two half was black and had a v-neckline; there was black lace covering from the chest to the tops of her shoulder. The back of the top was open, revealing her bare skin with only a little material covering the outline of her back. He couldn't help but wonder if she was wearing some kind of patting over her breasts or, even better, it she wasn't wearing a bra at all. The bottom half was red and stopped at her mid-thighs. Nathan doesn't understand how Haley can look amazing in anything she wears.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight, Hales?"

"You may have said something earlier when you picked me up."

"Can't be said enough really." He complimented.

Nathan smiled, watching as Haley bit down on her lower lip and blushed. He doesn't know anyone else who blushes as much as his neighbor does. It was an endearing quality of hers - one of his favorites, to be honest. Also, the way she bites down on her lower lip. Every time he catches her doing so, a jolt shoots through his body. Nathan found himself wanting to be the one to do that.

His attention was diverted as he noticed a couple shuffling towards them. He heard them before he saw them really - Brooke's voice was hardly quiet. Actually, it was her laugh that he had heard which was then followed by a deep chuckle from Lucas.

"Hi!" The bubbly brunette exclaimed upon arriving at the table.

The two girls embraced in a warm, light, long hug.

Nathan and Lucas settled for a handshake and a much quicker hug with one another. Separating, Lucas kissed Haley on the cheek as Nathan did the same with Brooke. Finished with their greetings, the four of them sat down around the table. Melissa, who had been patiently waiting off to the side, handed the newly arrived couple some menus.

"Do you guys know what you'd like to drink or do you need some more time?" She asked, smiling at them.

"I think we're ready." Lucas answered. "We've been here many times."

"I would love a glass of the Turley Zinfandel." Brooke instantly ordered.

"May I just have a cranberry crush, please?" Haley asked.

"Oh, come on, Haley!" Brooke prodded. "Have a drink."

"That is a drink." Haley stated, sending her friend a pointed look.

Brooke rolled her eyes and then eyed the pretty waitress. "She'll have the same thing as me."

"No. No, I won't." Haley immediately protested. "I really don't feel like drinking tonight, Brooke."

"Haley!" Brooke whined, pouting her lips. "I need a drinking buddy. And the wine I ordered is fabulous! You have to try it."

"Then I'll just try a small sip of yours." Haley countered. "No alcohol for me tonight."

"Don't you listen to her, Melissa. Bring her a glass of..."

"Brooke, she said no." Nathan interjected with a loud irritated sigh. "Just lay off."

Nathan loves his cousin's wife greatly but sometimes he wishes she was a guy so he could deck her. Brooke was pushy and even intrusive. Of course, she always means well as she is just a naturally vivacious and curious young woman. She loves people and loves when people love her. She loves gossip - even finds it fascinating and amusing when the gossip is surrounding her. Brooke can be intimidating and overbearing. Nathan, having known her for so many years, has learned to deal with these personality quirks of hers.

"Fine." Brooke huffed, glaring at her cousin. "Jeez, Nathan."

Growing uncomfortable, Melissa glanced at the petite brunette for confirmation on her order.

Haley smiled at her, feeling slightly uncomfortable herself. "Cranberry crush, please."

Nathan and Lucas ordered a beer for themselves.

Melissa nodded and left the table. The two couples remained silent, occasionally sipping some water, as they waited for the waitress to return. She handed out their drinks before jotting down what they wanted to eat. Melissa smiled politely at them all and then dashed away once more.

"Sorry, Haley." Brooke apologized, daring to break the silence first. "I know I can be...pushy sometimes."

"It's okay, Brooke." Haley smiled. "Believe it or not, that one of the things I love most about you."

"And that's why I love you." Brooke began with a little laugh. "You're too sweet and nice. You can call me a bitch, Hales. I am one sometimes."

"That's true." Nathan agreed.

Brooke dropped her mouth open in mock defense. "Watch it, superstar."

Nathan laughed. "Oh, you know I love you, Davis."

"Uh huh." She hummed, glaring playfully at him.

Haley smiled at the banter between Nathan and Brooke. It was very clear that they held a deep respect and love for each other. She knew they were friends before they became family. It was nice to see the way they can be serious, maybe even angry, with one another but then just as easily laugh it off.

Melissa returned, internally grateful for the uplifted mood at the table, and handed out the four ordered drinks. She pulled out her menu pad and scribbled down all the meals the two couples wanted then. Melissa collected the menus and left the table once more with the promise of returning soon with their meals.

"You'll notice, Brooke, that you're husband didn't disagree with me earlier." Nathan pointed out, smirking at the brunette.

"Hey, don't drag me into this." Lucas quickly protested.

Brooke narrowed her eyes at her husband. "He's gotta point, Broody."

"Thanks a lot, Nate." Lucas muttered, glaring at his cousin.

Nathan simply laughed and took a swig of his beer. He listened with prideful amusement as the married couple fell into an "argument" with one another; mainly, it was Brooke asking her husband if he thought she was a bitch at times while Lucas fumbled with his words as he tried to convince her that he didn't think that about her. Chuckling to himself, Nathan shifted his focus onto Haley, watching as she took a small sip of her drink.

"You sure you don't want me to take you home?" He asked her, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "You look like you're gonna fall asleep at any second."

"I don't know why I'm so tired." Haley said, shaking her head.

"I should have taken you out dancing or something to liven you up."

"You dance?" She inquired, grinning.

He shook his head and admitted, "No, not really. Not at all actually."

She smiled at how uncomfortable he looked and decided to change the subject, "I haven't asked you how your game went today?"

"We lost." He told her with a solemn smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized sincerely.

"It was a pretty close game, too, which sucks the most." He explained. "We only lost by four points."

"What about you?" She continued to prod. "How'd you play?"

He shruggd. "So, so."

They smiled softly at one another.

"So," Lucas began, looking at his cousin, "Uncle Dan's pissed."

"Yes, he is." Nathan mumbled, instantly feeling the way his mood darkened at the mention of his father.

"He and Aunt Deb came over to dinner last night and...boy, was he mad." Lucas whistled. "Has he threatened you yet?"

"No, not me. Haley, though." Nathan revealed.

"What?!" Brooke shrieked and whipped her head so she could look at her friend. "Are you okay? Dan can be very intimidating. Lucas and I have been together for over ten years, and I still don't think Dan has fully accepted me into the family."

"Really?" Haley asked as her friend nodded while sipping her wine. "Great."

"He really threatened you?" Lucas questioned, feeling a mixture of belief and disabelief.

Haley nodded. "Well, kind of. I mean, I don't think he..."

"No, Hales," Nathan quickly interrupted, "he did. And he meant it."

At that moment, their conversation was put on hold as their waitress returned with the first course of their meal. She handed out the hot plates, warning the diners to be careful. She asked if there was anything else they needed at the moment before dashing away. They each took a bite of their food and practically moaned in satisfaction.

"Well, if you ask me, it's about time you two got together." Brooke stated, being the first to jump start a conversation as she smiled at the couple sitting across from her. "I've been waiting for it for a while now."

Both Nathan and Haley blushed and glanced away from one another.

"What?" Lucas asked, looking between them.

"What?" Nathan repeated lamely, glancing at his cousin.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Brooke jumped in, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.

Nathan and Haley finally glanced at each other. Silently communicating with one another, they nodded before looking at the other couple again.

"We have a confession." Nathan said.

"Okay?" Lucas said slowly.

A look of confusion passed between the married couple.

"Haley and I...we aren't exactly...dating." Nathan sputtered, inhaling a deep breath.

Haley picked at the table with her fingers, nervously anticipating her friend's reaction.

After a moment, Brooke's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! Did you...you guys didn't elope, did you?"

"What?!" Nathan and Haley simultaneously replied.

"Brooke, what on earth are you talking about?" Haley asked.

"You said you're not actually dating." Brooke pointed out.

"Yes, but...how the hell did you get from that to us eloping?" Nathan prodded, incredibly confused.

Even Lucas was confused but he couldn't help but watch Nathan and Haley's reactions, searching for any signs that his wife may be onto something in some weird, crazy way he doesn't understand. Lucas saw nothing except two people who were as lost as he was.

"You didn't elope? And, you're not secretly married?" Brooke deduced, glancing between the two who shook their heads adamantly. "Then what the hell did you mean?"

"Just what it meant." Nathan said. "We aren't actually dating."

"It's all a ruse." Haley revealed with a deep breath.

"A ruse?" Brooke questioned. "As in...pretend?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay." Brooke laughed, shaking her head. "I don't get it."

Nathan and Haley spent the next five minutes explaining everything to Lucas and Brooke. They opened up about the fabricated story _Star Magazine_ printed about their so-called relationship as well as Clay's revelation that this wasn't the first set of rumors to circulate about them. They discussed Carrie's bitter, negative rantings, and then they talked about Clay's proposal. Nathan and Haley were quick to reassure the other couple that they agreed wholeheartedly, sincerely wanting to help each other out.

Lucas and Brooke had no response to this surprising revelation - only shared the occasional worried glance with one another. This whole ruse could end really badly for Nathan and Haley. Yes, there's that chance it could end really great but they were more focused on the negative side effects. It was clear to anyone within a mile radius of Nathan and Haley that they had a deep attraction to one another. Was it simply attraction or something more - they weren't exactly sure. But, both Lucas and Brooke always felt that it could be something more if they gave it a chance. However, what if this ends the way so many relationships do? While they wanted to remain optimistic and hopeful, Lucas and Brooke couldn't help but think this was going to end with one or both of them getting their hearts broken.

**There you go - please let me know what you think.**

**I hope to have another chapter for you guys soon. I'm pulling for Friday (March 20th) or hopefully sooner. :)**

**Have a wonderful day and weekend!**


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